Elderly Coventry woman spends 'weekends on edge' as teen vandals target her home

[dutchman]

Susan Scott lives at her bungalow with her 97-year-old mother



A pensioner says that teenage vandals who keep damaging her fence have left her spending her 'weekends on edge'. Susan Scott spent £8,000 on the Colourfence at her home in Allesley Park but is now having to deal with youngsters continuously breaking it.

Susan has lived at the bungalow in Beche Way with her bedbound 97-year-old mother for the past two years, with the problems going on for the past 12 months. She said: "Over the last year, we have had young teenagers kicking the panels in which have become badly damaged and dented which need replacing. I had to go to the police as this is now criminal damage."

Susan is now spending her 'weekends on edge' and wants the police to do more.

She added: "Since moving in, I have had the bungalow reconfigured and the garden landscaped for my mother who gets distressed very easily. I have got my perfect home but it is spoiled by mindless individuals so I am at my wits end.

"We have no problem with kids having a laugh and going to the park to enjoy themselves, but not when it's at the expense of damaging my home. Most people around here are retired and we just want some peace and quiet, but it has been a nightmare."

Susan's road goes from Winsford Avenue bus terminus to Allesley Park, whereby her fence goes all around the side of her home up to The Dovecoats retirement apartments.

She said: "I have cameras in my garden but it doesn't show the public footpath so I want CCTV put in place. My home is close to the car park for the Allesley Park where drug dealing happens at night so it is vital to get this to keep an eye on what's happening at night.

"Other residents are fully aware of what's happening but most of them only have a front garden and are not exposed to what I see and experience."

Susan says there is around half a dozen kids aged between 12 to 13 adding dents, scratches and holes to the fence regularly and has already dealt with a separate incident with two young girls recently. She likes the area as it's a nice place to live, but feels she's in a "no-win situation".

Susan said: "I have been contacting Coventry City Council since June 2022 and the local councillor Naeem Aktar has been round and said we shouldn't be living like this. We have also asked police to request CCTV multiple times but no-one seems to care."

Susan's ideal situation to solve this issue would be to 'catch and prosecute' the culprits, adding: "Ideally I would like to catch and prosecute the people who keep vandalising my fences which cost over £8,000 but if they came forward and apologised, that would be acceptable."