- Are YOU the neighbour who complained? Email jose.ramos@dailymail.co.uk
A Christmas-loving father who was branded ‘tacky’ by a mystery angry neighbour about his two 20 ft festive decorations has hit back in spectacular style – by erecting a towering Grinch and publicly shaming the complaint itself.
Dave Goodings, 31, found himself at the centre of a festive feud after receiving a poison-pen letter attacking the two giant decorations outside his home.
The saga began when he accidentally ordered a 20ft inflatable Santa last year – thinking it was actually only 4ft.
He decided to keep it anyway, and says it quickly became a hit with passers-by who stopped to take photos.
He put it up anyway and says it it quickly became a hit with passers-by who stopped to take photos, so he added another 20ft inflatable – this time a £179 snowman – on Sunday.
But he was astonished when he received an anonymous complaint through his letterbox in Chessington, Greater London.
The unsigned note, delivered in an envelope with no name or address on Monday, complained that the display was ‘cheap, tacky and completely out of place’ and threatened to report the 31-year-old to the council if the decorations were not removed immediately.
Instead of complying, the father responded with deliberate irony – installing a giant Grinch on his driveway and enlarging the complaint onto a bedsheet, which he then dangled from an upstairs window.
Instead of complying, the father responded with deliberate irony – installing a giant Grinch on his driveway and enlarging the complaint onto a bedsheet
Dave Goodings found himself at the centre of a festive feud after receiving a poison-pen letter attacking the two giant decorations outside his home
The DJ business owner said: ‘The funny thing is, it has made more people laugh because the letter is ridiculous and it has brought so much happiness to people. That is what Christmas is all about.
‘The mystery neighbour messed with the wrong person. It has been the highlight of my year because my inflatables are more in demand than ever, which is the total opposite of what the letter was trying to achieve.’
The letter which arrived on Monday read: ‘To the occupier of this house.
‘I live down the road and I am absolutely horrified by the giant Santa and giant snowman inflatables you have put outside your property.
‘They look cheap, tacky and completely out of place in our quiet street.
‘The inflatables are an eyesore, they ruin the character of the road and they make the whole area look ridiculous rather than the nice tidy street it usually is.
‘This is not a request, this is a formal complaint from someone who actually lives nearby. The display is offensive to the neighbourhood.
‘It is ruining the view from our homes and it shows zero respect for the community. Please take them down immediately.
‘If they are not removed at once I will be reporting the matter to the council and the residents association, and I will be urging others in the road to do the same.
‘So, do the decent thing and bring them in before tonight!
‘Regards,
‘An unhappy neighbour’
He was astonished when he received an anonymous complaint through his letterbox about his two inflatables
Mr Goodings said the backlash had only strengthened support from locals and insisted the anonymous author had backfired badly.
He added that justice had been served, describing the complainant as ‘too much of a coward to put their name on the letter.’
He added: ‘They’ve now become the laughingstock not just of everyone in the community, but the country and even the world.’