A MUM has told how her neighbour’s 5ft privacy fence repair was allegedly bodged so badly she now can’t use her garden.
Julia Monk and her partner were left furious after the fence dividing their gardens in Mackworth, Derbyshire, was dislodged in a storm.
The mum has banned her 11-year-old disabled son from playing in their garden because she’s so scared he’ll get hurt.
She claims Derby Homes lodged three posts on an uneven surface against the fence bordering the rear of her house.
Julia told Derbyshire Live: “Why are Derby Homes making fences safe but at the same time not considering the safety of the tenants living there?
“I think it is disgusting – surely it has a duty to safeguard. If my child did trip and fell on the posts who would be liable?”
She claimed the repair was “botched-up” and “poor quality”, labelling it a “quick, see you later” job.
“They don’t seem interested,” she added. “We are going round in circles and getting more frustrated because Derby Homes are not listening to us.
“They are just on repeat and it is difficult to get hold of them.”
She says the fence is owned by her neighbour, meaning she can’t replace it herself.
Julia claims Derby City Council’s social housing company attempted to fix a fence panel that was damaged from a strong storm in March.
Four months on, Julia is still concerned for her son whose mobility condition causes him to fall regularly.
Despite the work that has been carried out, the mum fears that the fence is a trip hazard waiting to happen. She’s furious she’s been forced to continue fighting for a solution.
The couple claim Derby Homes last week found the posts were “unsafe” during a stock survey.
In May, it was reported that Derby Homes was to implement a new policy where they would “help make fenced areas safe” when damaged but due to financial pressure were not able to replace them.
Despite this, Julia says that she has been forced to make a stage two complaint with the housing company as a desperate plea to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
A spokesperson for Derby homes said: “We can confirm that the existing fence panels have been made safe to prevent further damage and mitigate any risk to the household. A further repair is booked in to follow the initial temporary repair.
“As this is a current complaint, we cannot comment on the ongoing investigation.”
It comes as a nightmare neighbour blasted a foghorn to drown out the noise of pre-school children.
After putting up a sign asking to keep the noise down, the resident played a jarring alarm which supposedly went off within a minute the children from Epiphany Pre-School in Bournemouth, Dorset, went out to play.
