‘My neighbour sneakily cut our garden apple tree – I caught them on camera’

A young woman and her partner who have recently bought their first home together after falling in love with its large back garden are left seething after an "interfering" neighbour snuck into their garden and began chopping down the beloved apple tree.

The huge apple tree growing in the couple's garden is believed to be around 70-80 years old.

Shortly after moving into the new property, the neighbour, who is said to be in his fifties, asked if they could chop down the overhang, hanging over their side of the fence.

The woman, 23, agreed, but advised it was the wrong time of the year and would consider cutting the tree in autumn. However, shortly after their discussions, the neighbour took the matter into their own hands.

As reported in the Mirror, the 23-year-old appealed for advice on the user-led platform, Reddit: "I know that by law in the UK, you can cut a neighbour's tree if it hangs into your garden but only what hangs into the garden and only from your own side of the fence."

She added: "They pestered us a few times in the now eight weeks we lived here asking when we're going to sort it but we've told them many times that it's not our top priority (the house needs a rewire and a new kitchen)."

However, over a weekend in June, the neighbour decided to take action when the couple went away. They received a security camera notification, alerting them to motion detection in their garden.

She said: "When we looked they'd let themselves into our garden with a saw and a ladder to try and cut it down. Thankfully our camera has a microphone so we told them off over the camera and they ran off pretty quick but we got back today and they have managed to cut off another branch (which was not an overhanging one)."

Reaching out to Reddit users for advice, she clarified they called the non-emergency police line, only to be informed this was "a civil matter and not a criminal offence."

One user commented: "They are not going to stop! If you go away again, they'll try again. You need to take some kind of legal action to let them know you are very serious about not taking the tree down."

Another suggested: "I'd go talk with them and let them know that they're absolutely not allowed on your property without your permission and with you present."

Another user said: "I’ll bet they knew you were out of town. Maybe they saw you loading up the car or you told them. This was very sneaky on their part, so the time for being nice is over."

According to Nuisance Neighbours, an advice website run by lawyers, the first step to take when you believe your neighbour is trespassing in your garden is to report it.

The site says: "Firstly, you can file a complaint with the council or police, who can investigate the matter and take appropriate action. This can include issuing a warning to the trespasser or imposing a fine. You should only contact the police if you feel the neighbour is going to cause damage or harm."

It continues: "If the trespassing persists, you may be able to obtain a restraining order or an injunction, which is a court order that prohibits the individual from entering your land or property."