A pensioner has slammed his "petty" neighbour after the latter erected a chain-link fence across his back door - just to stop him walking across a strip of land less than a metre wide outside his property.
David Breeze, 80, has to leave through the small garden door to access a footpath which runs across a field next to his home, but to get to the path, Breeze must circumnavigate a 35-inch-wide sliver of private land - owned by his parish councillor neighbour, Chris Mutten.
Though the 80-year-old has acknowledged he is, by law, trespassing - despite it being possible to stride across the slice of land - he said: "Petty is the word that really sums it up."
Breeze has owned the property in Reedham, Norfolk, for 23 years - but the issue only sprung up when Mutten secured planning permission for the construction of dozens of homes on Middle Field, in the centre of the village.
The dispute has erupted over this footpath in Reedham, Norfolk
The pensioner had installed the rear gate in May 2020 - where it was enjoyed by his grandsons, aged 7 and 10 at the time, who used it to avoid crossing roads to get from their father's to their grandfather's homes.
Two years ago, a pair of wooden posts were erected either side of the gate - but then, mere weeks ago, Breeze claims Mutten's son Jake arrived to lay down the chain-link fence.
Breeze said he had seen Jake Mutten turn up, "fix it up", then drive off, and claimed he had caught the incident unfold on CCTV.
The 80-year-old told the Daily Mail: "It was two weeks ago when the wire went up. It blocked my access through, as opposed to running along the whole boundary. It certainly feels personal."
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The footpath, seen in red, runs across and along the side of Reedham's Middle Field, owned by Chris Mutten
Google/GB News
But when Breeze encountered parish councillor Mutten just days later, he said Mutten smiled and waved "as if nothing had happened."
Just days ago, the 80-year-old said he had returned home with his wife Helen to discover that the wire covering his back gate had been removed and vandalised.
Breeze joked that he was "disappointed" the wire had been removed, as he had been "enjoying all the comments from people walking by".
The pensioner believes the fence dispute was a result of concerns he raised about the nearby housing development - which would see the existing footpath rerouted.
Breeze had written to Broadland Council, saying: "I am sure that I speak for the majority of Reedham residents who would rather see this footpath remain and not be diverted onto a road.
"Pleasant green rural footpaths which are also very useful wildlife corridors are cherished by residents and should not be allowed to turn a rural environment into an urban one."
He added: "I have no objection to the houses being built - just to where the best place for them is."
In response to a request to discuss the matter, Mutten told the Mail: "It's just no comment".
