Neighbours Smoking

Pumpkin2018uk

Hi.
I have a problem with my neighbours who are chain smokers. Usually I would only be affected in the evening after work, but since coronavirus I have been working from home more and so it has become more of an issue. I live in an end terrace and their house has a side door adjacent to my garden where they will stand and smoke. My garden is roughly 4 ft above the passage way and have thought of putting a fence up but even then where I stand or sit they will be really close and continue to smoke. I have approched them, but I have been greeted with abuse and they have also been asked by someone else to go down their garden and smoke away from the house but have failed to do so.
 I don't really mind the occasional smell of smoke but feel i cant enjoy or sit in the garden anymore. I also don't want to be cause trouble.
With the need to be sociable distanced more is there anything that can be done ?.
Thanks for your help/ replies 

Davesnave

This has nothing to do with social distancing. If these people are on their own land, whether owned or rented, there's no law that says they cannot smoke in a particular place. If they won't heed a request to smoke away from the boundary, there's no further action you can take.

These people haven't 'failed' to do anything, they have chosen a particular action, just as you have chosen to live in housing where neighbours are, apparently, close together.

[Deleted User]

I am an ex smoker and hate smoking and the smell of it but I wouldn’t dream of telling my neighbors not to smoke in their garden. You have no rights. 

RelievedSheff

There isn't a lot you can do about people smoking on their own property and I'm not surprised you were met with abuse when you approached them about this. I'm fairly sure you would be pretty miffed off if someone asked you to stop doing something on your property as well.

You can add an extra fence but that won't really stop the smell or stop the fact that they are stood behind it. You surely realised when you bought the house that the neighbours were in close proximity?

Mistral001

You asked them to not smoke in their own garden, they refused.  There are within their rights to refuse.  Leave it at that and move on. 

Paula_Smith

Try putting some fox repellent down - they might move of their own accord - then after a few weeks they are used to their new spot you can stop with the repellant.
Or if they are young try an anti loitering device e.g 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jinner-Anti-Loitering/dp/B00JBD9B7A

Pumpkin2018uk

Thank-you for the replies. I don't mind if they want to smoke in their garden but just asked them politely if they would smoke a little further away from our entrances. I have a lung condition with appears to agitate more when they smoke.  It's not really in the garden but in an alleyway where other neighbors have access to. The other neighbors have concerns and have asked them. It just our house looks directly over them and if you look out they ware really close to the window. I don't want to cause trouble and would love to move on but wish they would be a little bit more considerate where they smoked as they have the opportunity to smoke elsewhere in the garden and it wouldn't be a nuisance. in terms of knowing that i would be close to neighbors i am fine with that but sadly didn't realise that front door would be used constantly for smoking. Thanks 

TELLIT01

There really is nothing you can do to stop people smoking cigarettes anywhere they want to on their own property.  If it's funny smelling baccy there might be other courses of action available.

rach_k

You can't stop them smoking in their garden, just as they can't stop you spraying Liquid A*s around the parts of your garden nearest to where they smoke.  Amazon sells it.  Be careful though, it really is far worse than you could possibly imagine.  I'd use it to train them to go further away from the building.  

bpj

Perhaps diverting their smoke to the heavens using a small fan would be more effective and less confrontational than fox repellent etc.

twopenny

What about burning a Citronella candle?

You can get ones that go on for hours for garden use. Smell of lemons and dream you are in Italy.