Neighbours live in fear of gardens being bulldozed

Alex Titley says she could lose more than a quarter of her garden

A group of neighbours have said builders developing the field behind their homes are threatening to pull down their fences and take up to a third of their gardens.

Residents of Percy Thrower Avenue in Bomere Heath in Shropshire received a letter from the company, stating they had illegally encroached on land that did not belong to them.

Homeowner Alex Titley said Land Registry documents showed that was not true and that they would call the police if their properties were damaged.

A spokesperson for the landowner, Housing Plus Group, said it would "work with all parties to reach an amicable and fair resolution".

The letter from Housing Plus's contractors, J. Harper and Sons of Leominster, was dated 21 May, and gave the homeowners 28 days to remove their own belongings "before taking action to remove the encroachment".

It warned no responsibility would be taken for the condition of materials removed, and concluded "there is no legal duty on the landowner to reinstate" the fence on the new line.

Mrs Titley said the landowner wanted to take 2.5m (8ft) off her 8m garden.

If this happened, she said she would lose two trees and have to move her shed, pots and garden ornaments after nearly 20 years living on the close.

"It's my sanctuary", she said, her "peaceful place" at a time when she had been struggling with her daughter's health.

She said: "The anxiety this has caused is unbelievable. To think these people think they can just wade in and demand a quarter of it when it is inside our registered boundary is absurd."

Jonathan Kessel-Fell said his grandchild no longer played in his garden

Neighbour Jonathan Kessel-Fell said: "We have been looking after the boundary, which is on their deeds, for 20 years.

"We're all in really busy jobs and our gardens are our sanctuary."

He said the fences were due to be taken down any time from Wednesday - 28 days since the letters were sent - but he had been told by the developer that this would not happen while the legal dispute was going on.

"We're not against the houses being built, we just want a conversation with the construction company and the landowner."

Alex Titley believes the developers want 2.5m from the back of her 8m-long garden

Solicitors Lanyon Bowdler, acting for the residents, said legal documents demonstrated the landowner's view that the boundary was inaccurate was "completely mistaken".

"The boundary fences have been there for 20 years. They are in the right place and even if they were not in 2004, over time they have become the boundary," the company wrote.

A Housing Plus Group spokesperson said: "We are aware of the concerns raised by residents on Percy Thrower Avenue regarding the ongoing land issue.

"We understand that this situation has caused uncertainty, we will work with all parties to reach an amicable and fair resolution."