Mon, Apr 7, 2014
Friendships are thrown out the window when plans for an ambitious extension in Woodford Green leads to untold misery for neighbours Helen Coughlan and Tony and Veronica Martin, after their neighbour Tariq Ahmed reveals plans to extend his three bedroom end of terrace house into a five bedroom mansion. Mr Ahmed's extension will go right up to Helen's boundary line, severely blocking light and restricting access to her property. To Helen's disbelief, the council approves building plans. The disruption is immediate, with endless noise and seemingly unsafe building practices carried out by Ahmed's partly You-tube educated crew of builders. Ahmed's colossal structure next door begins to overshadow Helen's house and shroud it in darkness, while the Martins begin to discover huge cracks inside their property. Following their complaints, Ahmed starts threatening his neighbours, even saying he'll blow their house up...
In Bournemouth, mum Debra Freestone has been happily parking her car on a small unregistered strip of land that backs onto her garden for over 20 years. In 2011 she inherits some money and decides to apply to the Land Registry to officially claim the land, building a gated driveway on it meantime. But her new neighbour Charles Garegnani demands she remove the driveway, and then Debra finds out claiming the land won't be straightforward. So Mr Garegnani takes the law into his own hands and when Debra is out one day, digs up her driveway and gates himself. A turf war ensues as the feud escalates ending up in a restraining order for Debra.
Peace is shattered in Somerset after Meg Sunningdale moves to the small village of Withycombe to get a slice of country living. Proud animal lover Meg fiercely protects all creatures great and small, a view at odds with some of the locals especially when she takes to feeding the local badgers. Things come to a head when Meg names and shames one of the villagers as one of the gunmen taking part in a government backed cull of badgers to prevent tuberculosis spreading in cattle. After putting up posters in the village giving his details the local gunman and his family are driven out of town. Meg gets a police caution but the trouble doesn't end there. Animal Rights protesters start turning up in droves - leaving the village under siege, and Megs relations with her neighbours beyond repair.
In Bournemouth, mum Debra Freestone has been happily parking her car on a small unregistered strip of land that backs onto her garden for over 20 years. In 2011 she inherits some money and decides to apply to the Land Registry to officially claim the land, building a gated driveway on it meantime. But her new neighbour Charles Garegnani demands she remove the driveway, and then Debra finds out claiming the land won't be straightforward. So Mr Garegnani takes the law into his own hands and when Debra is out one day, digs up her driveway and gates himself. A turf war ensues as the feud escalates ending up in a restraining order for Debra.
Peace is shattered in Somerset after Meg Sunningdale moves to the small village of Withycombe to get a slice of country living. Proud animal lover Meg fiercely protects all creatures great and small, a view at odds with some of the locals especially when she takes to feeding the local badgers. Things come to a head when Meg names and shames one of the villagers as one of the gunmen taking part in a government backed cull of badgers to prevent tuberculosis spreading in cattle. After putting up posters in the village giving his details the local gunman and his family are driven out of town. Meg gets a police caution but the trouble doesn't end there. Animal Rights protesters start turning up in droves - leaving the village under siege, and Megs relations with her neighbours beyond repair.
Mon, Apr 14, 2014
The Roddis's idyllic retirement in a peaceful Barnsley neighbourhood is shattered when new neighbour Barry Barker moves in and starts scrapping cars in his driveway. But when Mr Roddis leads a neighbourhood appeal to stop the noisy resident, Mr Barker holds the couple personally responsible. A 9 year campaign of intimidation, verbal and physical abuse follows, that will have a devastating effect on the Roddis's lives, and a prison sentence for Mr Barker.
When Maurice Forsyth-Grant's family fall on hard times they're forced to sell their ancestral home, Ecclesgreig Castle, in Scotland. When new owner, businessman Gavin Farquhar and his company buy it, Maurice hopes they will maintain the historical building and estate, especially as he still lives nearby on land he's retained. But over the years the new neighbours have fallen out over the plans for the castle, and now the surrounding roads, trees and castle itself are all falling into disrepair.
In London, squatters are making life hell for Richard and Philomena Chadwick. For 5 years the Streatham couple have been battling to evict the unwanted next door neighbours, whose bongo playing parties and rooftop sunbathing are destroying the privacy of the Chadwick's once secluded garden. But constant appeals to the authorities have fallen on deaf ears due to a loophole in the law allowing squatting in commercial properties - bad news for the Chadwick's who are devastated to discover one of the rooms in the property was previously an antique shop. For now the squatters aren't budging, but Richard's not going down without a fight...
When Maurice Forsyth-Grant's family fall on hard times they're forced to sell their ancestral home, Ecclesgreig Castle, in Scotland. When new owner, businessman Gavin Farquhar and his company buy it, Maurice hopes they will maintain the historical building and estate, especially as he still lives nearby on land he's retained. But over the years the new neighbours have fallen out over the plans for the castle, and now the surrounding roads, trees and castle itself are all falling into disrepair.
In London, squatters are making life hell for Richard and Philomena Chadwick. For 5 years the Streatham couple have been battling to evict the unwanted next door neighbours, whose bongo playing parties and rooftop sunbathing are destroying the privacy of the Chadwick's once secluded garden. But constant appeals to the authorities have fallen on deaf ears due to a loophole in the law allowing squatting in commercial properties - bad news for the Chadwick's who are devastated to discover one of the rooms in the property was previously an antique shop. For now the squatters aren't budging, but Richard's not going down without a fight...
Mon, Apr 21, 2014
Larger than life local character Peter Stoodley inherited some chickens and cockerels when he bought a carpet business in Yeovil, Somerset. Before long they multiplied, ending up with 120 running rampant in his small backyard. The noise was driving his neighbours, the De Roper family, mad. Not to mention the rats who turned up to feast on the rotting eggs and carcases lying about. The de Ropers battle for two years before persuading authorities to give Mr Stoodley an ASBO banning him from keeping animals. But five years on, their nightmare neighbour has other ideas...
After moving into a quiet village in Anglesey, 67 year old Pamela Booth found herself befriended by neighbour Delyth Jones, with seemingly kind offers to help the invalid pensioner around the house. But after a year of friendship Pamela makes a shocking discovery; her bank card had been fraudulently used by Delyth who has systematically robbed her of more than £1000 over 10 months. Delyth pleads guilty in court, but as well as losing a friend, losing her savings means Pamela is now unable to pay her winter heating bills.
NEIGHBOURS V TURASINZE After topping the charts in his native Kenya, 24 year old budding rapstar, Elvis Turasinze, runs into a whole lot of trouble when he moves into a council flat in Dagenham. The rapper is repeatedly keeping residents awake, playing his noisy tunes into the early hours. But the self-proclaimed 'music terrorist' is unrepentant, despite 80 complaints and a noise abatement order. Finally slapped with a £1000 fine he still remains defiant, moving his beat making to his brother's house instead, just a mile away.
After moving into a quiet village in Anglesey, 67 year old Pamela Booth found herself befriended by neighbour Delyth Jones, with seemingly kind offers to help the invalid pensioner around the house. But after a year of friendship Pamela makes a shocking discovery; her bank card had been fraudulently used by Delyth who has systematically robbed her of more than £1000 over 10 months. Delyth pleads guilty in court, but as well as losing a friend, losing her savings means Pamela is now unable to pay her winter heating bills.
NEIGHBOURS V TURASINZE After topping the charts in his native Kenya, 24 year old budding rapstar, Elvis Turasinze, runs into a whole lot of trouble when he moves into a council flat in Dagenham. The rapper is repeatedly keeping residents awake, playing his noisy tunes into the early hours. But the self-proclaimed 'music terrorist' is unrepentant, despite 80 complaints and a noise abatement order. Finally slapped with a £1000 fine he still remains defiant, moving his beat making to his brother's house instead, just a mile away.
Mon, Apr 28, 2014
In a quiet village in the Cotswolds, 3 sets of neighbours and once good friends, fall out over money. Growing up in the close-knit community of Broadway, entrepreneur Robert Brown and his parents are well known to fellow residents the McSweeneys and the Maymons. Looking to expand his cafe business, Robert Brown approaches both families for a hefty loan - each unaware the other is also a target. Trusting their neighbour implicitly, they part with a total of £120,000. But it's not long before they discover to their horror he's going bankrupt, they're not the sole investors, and there's little chance of getting all their money back.
In Bristol, Barry Collins moves in opposite Tim Wrigley and quickly they're on good terms. That is, until Mr Collins behaviour becomes more and more bizarre. He keeps gifting Tim numerous packets of meat and cheese he doesn't really want. When Tim starts refusing them, Mr Collins turns nasty and subjects his neighbour to abusive phone calls, threats and intimidation. After 2 years, with help from the police and council, Tim finally manages to get an injunction against Mr Collins to stop the unwanted harassment. But it doesn't stop there -and soon Mr Collins antics have him behind bars.
The peaceful flat Valerie Loney shares with her son James in Northampton is shattered the first night a noisy new neighbour arrives. Endless loud music, shouting and even personal threats have the family at their wits end - with the Housing Association unable to help without proof. Eventually James decides to fight back and starts to video the disturbance - uploading his evidence onto the internet for others to see, gaining support and sympathy online. It takes a year before James records enough evidence to win the battle, but is it enough to get his nightmare neighbour evicted?
In Bristol, Barry Collins moves in opposite Tim Wrigley and quickly they're on good terms. That is, until Mr Collins behaviour becomes more and more bizarre. He keeps gifting Tim numerous packets of meat and cheese he doesn't really want. When Tim starts refusing them, Mr Collins turns nasty and subjects his neighbour to abusive phone calls, threats and intimidation. After 2 years, with help from the police and council, Tim finally manages to get an injunction against Mr Collins to stop the unwanted harassment. But it doesn't stop there -and soon Mr Collins antics have him behind bars.
The peaceful flat Valerie Loney shares with her son James in Northampton is shattered the first night a noisy new neighbour arrives. Endless loud music, shouting and even personal threats have the family at their wits end - with the Housing Association unable to help without proof. Eventually James decides to fight back and starts to video the disturbance - uploading his evidence onto the internet for others to see, gaining support and sympathy online. It takes a year before James records enough evidence to win the battle, but is it enough to get his nightmare neighbour evicted?