Council cut back my hedge, next thing I know, I was burgled - says Kempston man

A Kempston man has hit out at the council for cutting back his hedge JUST DAYS BEFORE his house was burgled.

Chris Canham has for years grown a rose bush at the back of his house which goes over his gate - hoping the spiky foliage would act as a deterrent to burglars.

And for 25 years, it did just that.

But he was shocked to discover Bedford Borough Council decided to cut it back - even though it doesn't belong to them and is within his boundary.

And to add insult to injury, Chris returned home days later, only to discover his house had been burgled.

The 65-year-old told Bedford Today: "It's a nightmare. Within days a burglar had come over the rear gate and smashed their way into the back of my house."

And although the burglars only got away with a radio and some cheap toiletries, the damage to the rear of the property and the patio doors came to £3,000.

Chris and his partner contacted the council to find out why the rose bush was cut back.

He said: "They have never cut down the foliage before. It was the main deterrent in that area."

However, as Chris added: "We called 30 times. I have sent 200 emails trying to get any satisfaction from them.

"Why have they never cut this hedge before? Why won't they answer one single question?

So far Chris has yet to receive a reply from the council.

He added: "Obviously the burglary event is upsetting enough but just as stressful is the problem of dealing with Bedford Borough Council.

"It is obviously a mistake by the council, however they will not talk to me about it or make good and seem to be putting all their effort into finding an excuse to cover their mistake."

A Bedford Borough Council spokesperson said: “Bedford Borough Council regularly receives complaints about overgrown hedges across pavements that force pedestrians to walk on the road or cause them to get scratched or wet from the overhanging vegetation.

“In this particular case we have received Mr Canham’s complaint and are currently investigating it as per the council’s complaints policy. We will not comment on an ongoing investigation.”