Spikes on fence

aileth

Hi all,

My mum and dad's psychotic next door neighbour has put large metal SHARP spikes on top of their fence. The fence is about 7 foot high. They've done it with the pure intention of injuring my parents' cat (They've threatened to kill it before). The fence is 'their' fence. The spikes are not the pigeon-dissuading sort, which are plastic/PVC and snap off, or simply designed to dissuade the cat from going there as it can't get a proper foothold. They are 110% designed to injure the cat.

There are no signs up, no nothing. They went up during the day while they were at work. My mum removed them and dropped them into next door neighbour's garden, probably a bad idea but I think she was a tad enraged. The spikes went back up under the cover of darkness last night.

Any advice? Who can they go to? Is it actually illegal? If my dad 'accidentally' put his hand on top of the fence and cut himself would they be covered under Occupier's Liability Act? (Of course he wouldn't do that, but from what I've read the law seems very grey)

Help!

whodathunkit

aileth wrote: »

Hi all,

My mum and dad's psychotic next door neighbour has put large metal SHARP spikes on top of their fence. The fence is about 7 foot high. They've done it with the pure intention of injuring my parents' cat (They've threatened to kill it before). The fence is 'their' fence. The spikes are not the pigeon-dissuading sort, which are plastic/PVC and snap off, or simply designed to dissuade the cat from going there as it can't get a proper foothold. They are 110% designed to injure the cat.

There are no signs up, no nothing. They went up during the day while they were at work. My mum removed them and dropped them into next door neighbour's garden, probably a bad idea but I think she was a tad enraged. The spikes went back up under the cover of darkness last night.

Any advice? Who can they go to? Is it actually illegal? If my dad 'accidentally' put his hand on top of the fence and cut himself would they be covered under Occupier's Liability Act? (Of course he wouldn't do that, but from what I've read the law seems very grey)

Help!

If the fence is 7 foot then it's illegal anyway and you can report him - the spikes will make it even higher.

Parts of this may be useful.

http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/garden-boundaries-and-fences/614/the-uk-law-concerning-fences-walls-and-gates/

aileth

Thanks, who would we report them to? Council?

elsien

Not sure what use a sign would be - the cat can't read it, and your parents spotted them straight away, so they're obviously not hard to miss. So your dad "accidentally" cutting himself when he's already aware of them having taken them down wouldn't really wash.


How big are these spikes, what makes you so sure they are there just to hurt the cat, has he put them up on any of his other fences?
Could you find and post a link to the type of spike, so we can see what you're talking about?

meritaten

you are not allowed to put anything which may injure a person around your property. the police told my neighbour this after he asked if he could put barbed wire on top of his wall (after his garden shed was broken it for the second time).
I would give the police station a ring and have a word with someone there.