Just some advice really

Hectors_House

I'll try to keep it short but I've had some excellant advice about other issues that I'm dealing with but this has got me flummoxed.

We live in a Victorian mews - a set of houses with a central pathway backing on to a railway line.

Last year, though-out the summer months we had kids playing football (using our neighbour's open car port as a goal post meaning balls crashing into our front door/windows/garden).

Now I had a word with these kids a couple of days ago telling them they were trespassing on private land...all quiet for a couple of days only for them to do it again today as we were leaving the house.

They then approached my sister as she was coming back to the house to tell her she'd not locked her car.

We know that the petrol cap door needs looking at but they told her we'd not locked the car and we know it was secure.

We really don't know what to do as a neighbour has been in touch with the anti social behaviour team at the local council as it is a lot worse for her with the same kids sitting on her wall looking into her house and she can also see the various groups of kids/youths who use our garden as a football pitch throughout the summer.

I'm just at a loss what to do right now as I've been signed off work through stress/depression (clinical depression as a result of a violent rape some years ago) and this is the last thing I need but I suspect this summer will be a nightmare as last year was with groups of kids/youths using our garden as a football pitch.

I wanted to plant some exotic plants out there this year but am worried they'll be trampled on as my plants were last year by kids coming onto the garden to retrieve their footballs.

Any advice would be welcome as I've just been sat here blouting my eyes out wondering if I will be fit to go back to work this week despite my doctor upping my dose of anti-depressant.

BitterAndTwisted

Why is a bunch of lids playing football so threatening to you? I can't see that a bit of harmless games or sport warrants contacting the council anti-social behaviour team. If I worked for them I'd be cross about people wasting my time, quite honestly. If kids were sitting on a wall peering through my windows I'd just draw the curtains. Kids need somewhere to play or to hang out and playing a bit of football isn't anti-social.

Hectors_House

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Why is a bunch of lids playing football so threatening to you? I can't see that a bit of harmless games or sport warrants contacting the council anti-social behaviour team. If I worked for them I'd be cross about people wasting my time, quite honestly. If kids were sitting on a wall peering through my windows I'd just draw the curtains. Kids need somewhere to play or to hang out and playing a bit of football isn't anti-social.

I think you've misunderstood my original post.

The houses sit side-on to the street with the house next to ours having had the wall changed to make a break for cars to be driven through and parked on their front garden.

The kids have taken to using this opening as a 'goal' so they're kicking the balls through that onto our front garden.

I cannot see how you possibly think that is acceptable. Especially seeing as our local council has spent tens of thousands of pounds converting a nearby field into a play park for them with a proper foot ball pitch.

BigBlackcat

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Why is a bunch of lids playing football so threatening to you? I can't see that a bit of harmless games or sport warrants contacting the council anti-social behaviour team. If I worked for them I'd be cross about people wasting my time, quite honestly. If kids were sitting on a wall peering through my windows I'd just draw the curtains. Kids need somewhere to play or to hang out and playing a bit of football isn't anti-social.

I think it becomes anti-social when said football is crashing into your windows and doors. I wouldn't want children trampling over MY garden to retrieve their ball constantly either.

I'm sorry you have to deal with this OP, on top of everything else.

Hectors_House

Thank you BigBlackCat.

I take a lot of courage from reading other peoples varied stories on this site and value any advise given.

I've just had a relapse (only the second on 10 years) and am trying to get back to work ASAP and really didn't need this additional distress.

I hope I made myself clear to anyone reading my original post and thank everyone for their input.

Money_maker

Can you not put up a higher wall/fence? Or your neighbours erect a high gate?

I know exactly how horrific this can be as we had a similar problem with neighbours kids and our back fence. We now have a 20' run of back fence that looks like fort knox but finally they seem to have given up using our garden as a goal/climbing over at will.

Hectors_House

Money_maker wrote: »

Can you not put up a higher wall/fence? Or your neighbours erect a high gate?

I know exactly how horrific this can be as we had a similar problem with neighbours kids and our back fence. We now have a 20' run of back fence that looks like fort knox but finally they seem to have given up using our garden as a goal/climbing over at will.

The neighbouring house is owned by a landlord who lived in South Africa but he kindly came to see us last year to ask us to watch out for his tenant who is his son and suffered a recent nervous breakdown.

We help by cutting back his side of our shared hedge when we trim our own and just watching out for him (he's a lovely lad but keeps to himself). He let our other neighbour park her car on his front garden (converted into a proper car port) whilst she sorted out her parking permit).

We are going to ask if he'll put the gate in (to fill the hole)and we'll help with cost in the hopes this will fix the problem but the same kids have been known to just kick their ball into and over any car parked up on there.

sophieschoice

Are these neighbours children or not? If so, can you speak to the parents?
Your neighbour is right to contact the Anti Social Behaviour Unit at the Council, it's what they're paid to deal with!
Contact your local Community Beat Officer as they're well used to dealing with this.
He/She can arrange for your local PCSO's to attend during the worst times and move them on.
Ask the ASBU worker at the Council to involve one of the many childrens services workers. Youth Mediation workers or Children and Young People's Services workers should be able to help.
Keep a diary of when the ball games are at their worst so they can visit at the optimum time.
I'd also plant some hawthorn bushes. They're wicked for popping footballs!
You are right not to want your life disturbed although I do appreciate that children have to play somewhere and a lot of adults these days seem to have zero tolerance.

Apricot

I don't understand the bit about them telling your sister that her car wasn't locked? Are you saying that they were trying to break into it?