You’ve been fenced!

September 24, 2014

Section:

‘Daily Mail’ publishes a non-story about a couple who are wrongly claiming to being “held prisoner” by their neighbours

On Wednesday, the Mail Online chose to make a major story out of a minor molehill when they published a story about a developer holding a couple “prisoner in their own home” by building a fence in front of their property. All was not quite what it seemed.

Wendy Collins stands on land belonging to her neighbours next to the fence that she's termed her personal "Berlin Wall" — Wendy Collins stands on land belonging to her neighbours next to the fence that she’s termed her personal “Berlin Wall”

Though Mrs Collins told the 'Mail Online' that she has to use a ladder to exit her home, why doesn't she just use the gate at the rear? — Though Mrs Collins told the ‘Mail Online’ that she has to use a ladder to exit her home, why doesn’t she just use the gate at the rear?

In the article, which has attracted over 1,500 mainly negative comments, the Mail reported that Paul and Wendy Collins of Brownhills in the West Midlands claimed that they now “need a ladder” to access their scruffy, unkempt home after their neighbours built a six foot timber fence at the front of it. In the images that accompanied the article, what the paper neglected to show, however, is that this publicity seeking duo’s home also has a very easily accessed driveway at the rear.

Claims that “the couple are also unable to receive their post due to their house being surrounded by the fence” and the suggestion that they’ve been “barricaded in” are also proven false by Google Street View images and maps that we publish here.

Mrs Collins' claims that she has been denied access to her home is disproven by this Google Street View image of the rear of her property which clearly shows a gated driveway with parking beyond — Mrs Collins’ claims that she has been denied access to her home is disproven by this Google Street View image of the rear of her property which clearly shows a gated driveway with parking beyond

This aerial shot clearly shows that the home of Mr and Mrs Collins has direct access from the highway (access marked in blue, new fence marked in red)

Retired teachers Mr and Mrs Collins plainly are neighbours from hell. The guttering on their house is falling off and pre-cast hangs from from it. Their overgrown garden is a tip and it is quite understandable that their neighbours don’t want to see such a disgrace. That a Daily Mail reporter fell for their nonsense, frankly, is ludicrous.

In a separate interview in a local newspaper, the Express & Star, Mrs Collins is described as being “no longer physically [able]” to do her own gardening. How on earth then does she manage to scale the ladder from behind what she terms her very own “Berlin Wall”?

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3 COMMENTS

Hannah Rayner September 25, 2014 At 8:34 am

Such a ridiculous story. This woman is not going to get any sympathy. She can climb a fence so why can’t she clean up her garden? The house could be beautiful but her laziness is destroying it.

Reply
John Mariani September 25, 2014 At 1:15 pm

The victim-voracious news gatherers find no shortage of subjects.

Reply
- Matthew Steeples September 25, 2014 At 1:16 pm
  
  Well plainly the Daily Mail was short of news. If they weren’t then they wouldn’t have published this.
  
  Reply