Council orders grandad to cut hedge after ‘nosy neighbour’ complaint

A grandfather in Wirral, Merseyside, UK, says he was forced to spend £300 cutting down his beloved hedge after a neighbor complained to the council. Clive Patterson, 68, said Wirral Council gave him 14 days to deal with the hedge he has been growing and sculpting since 1998, claiming it had become overgrown. The grandfather of four, who spends around £400 a year maintaining the fence, said it was compliant and did not block the pavement. Fearing court action, Clive paid a landscape architect £280 to strip the tree of bare branches, saying he felt upset and unfairly excluded.