The neighbour who made a 97-year-old pensioner’s life a dwelling hell by complaining that she was feeding birds in her backyard has been pictured for the primary time.
The 2-year ordeal noticed pensioner Anne Seago, her son and two neighbours threatened with a £100 tremendous by the council – after Darren Horn complained pigeons and seagulls had been inflicting a nuisance.
Now a photograph has emerged of Mrs Seago and Mr Horn smiling for a selfie earlier than his behaviour ’modified’ and he reported the retired music trainer to Fylde Council in Lancashire.
’When he first moved in, all the things was tremendous. We acquired on nicely however then someday all of it modified,’ Mrs Seago instructed MailOnline.
’He began taking part in loud music and banging the wheelie bin lid on a regular basis. He then began complaining concerning the pigeons on his roof and blaming me for feeding them.’
She added: ’He threatened to chop my pretty rose bush down as a result of it was rising above the fence.’
The pensioner has acquired a flurry of assist amid council warnings she dangers committing a ’legal offence’.
A brand new photograph has emerged of Anne Seago and Darren Horn smiling for a selfie earlier than he complained she was was feeding birds in her backyard
Mrs Seago (pictured) her son and two neighbours have been accused of ’anti-social behaviour’ and threatened with a £100 tremendous
She mentioned she was accused of placing meals scraps within the entrance backyard regardless that she can’t go away the home together with her body.
’I am going and sit within the conservatory in the back of the home and watch the birds, hedgehogs and squirrels within the backyard. Now we have all types of creatures within the backyard,’ she mentioned.
’I used to be even accused of taking meals scraps into the entrance backyard and the gulls had been coming down however I can not get out of the home with my body.
’I used to be left actually upset by that.’
The native council insists it acted appropriately by sending a warning letter and mentioned it may take additional motion, including: ’Failure to adjust to a group safety discover (CPN) is a legal offence.’
Breaching the discover can result in a most punishment of 5 years in jail and a limiteless tremendous. However MPs and older folks’s campaigners have urged Fylde Council in Lancashire to again down and have talks with the bird-loving residents as a substitute.
Frail Mrs Seago, who has lived at her residence in Staining, close to Blackpool, because it was in-built 1982, says certainly one of her pleasures in life is sitting in her conservatory watching sparrows and robins eat seeds on her chook desk.
Her son Alan, 77, who has now stopped feeding the birds, branded the council’s letter ’menacing’ and fears the stress of the state of affairs may ’end her off’.
He instructed MailOnline: ’I used to be fed-up of him trying over each time I went into the backyard.
’I do not know why the council continues to be pursuing this case.’
The chief govt of Fylde Council Allan Oldfield, who earns as much as £93,699-a-year from taxpayers
Dennis Learn, of marketing campaign group Silver Voices, mentioned: ’They’re taking a hard-line method which isn’t applicable. To counsel {that a} 97-year-old can be hauled earlier than a magistrates’ court docket and probably imprisoned if she continues with this behaviour is totally ridiculous.
’This is not legal behaviour in anyone’s e book and I feel it is growing right into a PR catastrophe for the council.’
Mr Learn referred to as on the authority to as a substitute ’mediate’ on ’what is actually a neighbour dispute’.
Tory MP Sir John Hayes mentioned: ’It is very unhappy whenever you consider an previous girl engaged in a easy pleasure being pursued by officialdom on this method.
’It does appear odd they might search to intrude in what somebody does in a personal house, partaking in a passion that tens of millions of individuals take pleasure in, together with myself, which inspires birdlife when wildlife is threatened and quite a lot of chook species are in decline.’
The warning letter was despatched to Mrs Seago, her son and near-neighbours Ian Wright, 67, and his spouse Kath, 66, by Fylde Council.
The authority insists it was performing appropriately and that ’tons of’ of birds had been seen round their properties and roosting within the space, which Mr Seago rejected as ’garbage’.
The council mentioned it has acquired allegations from 4 folks about ’extreme chook feeding’ since 2016 and officers visiting the road had seen ’tons of of pigeons’ close to the properties.
It added: ’This has led to the buildup of chook feed, which has the potential to draw vermin and unfold illness, and the build-up of chook faeces, which may trigger nuisance and injury to property.’
Tory MP Sir John Hayes (left) mentioned: ’It is very unhappy whenever you consider an previous girl engaged in a easy pleasure being pursued by officialdom on this method’
Mr Seago mentioned: ’I do not imagine the council’s declare. On the most there’s been 50 or 60 pigeons however usually there’s a few dozen at most. They do not nest spherical right here.
’There are all types of birds who come to feed. There’s even a heron knocking about. And now we have no pigeon muck on our property which there can be if there have been so many.’
He added that he has not put meals out for 3 weeks for the reason that letter threatening the tremendous arrived within the publish however that birds nonetheless flock to their road.
A Fylde council spokesman mentioned: ’The act of ’placing out meals for the aim of attracting wild birds to feed’ in such a big quantity frequently has a detrimental impact on neighbouring residents.
’Birds roosting and defacating is a public well being nuisance and has the potential to trigger illness.
’If it continues, the council may contemplate serving a group safety discover.
’Failure to adjust to a CPN is a legal offence. The council has acted in response to complaints from different residents within the neighbourhood.’
The council mentioned it has tried to ’have interaction’ with the Seagos and Wrights ’on a number of events’.
Frail Mrs Seago, who has lived at her residence in Staining, close to Blackpool, because it was in-built 1982, says certainly one of her pleasures in life is sitting in her conservatory watching sparrows and robins eat seeds on her chook desk
Anne Seago within the backyard of her Blackpool residence. From left to proper – Cath Wright, Ian Wright, Alan Seago and Anne Seago
The spokesman added: ’Contact couldn’t be established with the occupants of 1 property, the occupants didn’t reply to written correspondence or requests for phone contact.’
Pensioners’ campaigner Baroness Ros Altmann mentioned: ’This seems to be a case of Nanny State-identifying busy our bodies gone bonkers.
’I discover it very upsetting {that a} council would decide on an aged individual supported by quite a few neighbours and facet with the one or two neighbours who’ve complained.
’That is blighting the lifetime of a frail previous girl who would not should be vilified. I do not perceive – is it in opposition to the regulation to feed birds in your backyard?
’One of many neighbours who complained has allegedly been harassing her. ’(But) the council appear to have taken their facet over the woman.
’I really feel there’s something mistaken with the way in which the regulation is being interpreted.
’For a 97-year-old girl to be accused of anti-social behaviour for feeding pigeons is past my comprehension.’
Fylde Council say among the residents who’ve complained reside on completely different streets from Mrs Seago.
Mrs Seago and her son say they’ve felt harassed by one neighbour, Mr Horne, who had been taking part in loud punk music and banging his bin lid.
Mr Horne denies taking part in loud music however admits banging the bin to ’scare away birds’.