Latest news with #neighbourconflict
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EastEnders and The Bill actor at war with neighbours over fight for compensation after his wife's wrist was bitten by their dog at luxury holiday lodge
With tough guy roles in films such as Quadrophenia and Scum, John Blundell seems like he could handle anything. But the actor has revealed he and his wife Mercina are struggling to enjoy breaks at their luxury lodge in an upmarket resort over a bitter four-year legal dispute with neighbours. Relations with Alison and Andrew Girdiefski soured after their tiny Chinese crested dog, Ziggy, bit Mrs Blundell, leaving her with a scar on her wrist. The dispute that spiralled out of the incident has resulted in the Blundells contacting police to claim they had been verbally abused, filmed, barked at and even had 'Who Let the Dogs Out?' sung at them. But the Girdiefski's firmly deny the claims, point out all criminal investigations have been dropped and say the Blundells remained friends with them – even inviting them to dinner – until an insurance claim over the dog bite incident faltered. The drama has played out at Fritton Lake, near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, which is owned by Lord Somerleyton who tried – unsuccessfully – to mediate between the warring couples. The resort, set in 5,000 acres of countryside, has 115 lodges that sell for up to £350,000, while owners pay an £8,000 ground rent that includes access to a clubhouse with a bar, restaurant, outdoor pool, gym, tennis and volleyball courts, a shop – and a floating sauna. Mr Blundell, 66, who has also appeared in EastEnders, The Bill, Just Good Friends and Juliet Bravo, complained: 'We now go back to our home in Camden in London for a rest. 'This was supposed to be an idyllic holiday retreat and it has turned into a living nightmare.' Mrs Girdiefski, a 61-year-old project manager – who has so far spent £19,000 on solicitor's fees and expects a damages bill of up to £11,000 after admitting liability, countered: 'We were still all happy when they were going through the pet insurance stage and there was no animosity at all at this point. 'But when they learned that the pet insurance wouldn't pay out to them because the incident took place inside the holiday lodge, things changed.' She and her husband suspect their neighbours are 'doing this for the money' – an allegation flatly denied by the Blundells. Ziggy nipped at Mrs Blundell on June 21, 2021, two months after she and her husband bought their lodge. They had walked around 600ft through woodland to visit the Girdiefskis for the first time and were inside their property admiring their skylights. The bite broke the skin on Mrs Blundell's wrist and left her with a half-inch scar after she went to James Paget Hospital in Gorleston for treatment. The couple subsequently made a claim on the Girdiefskis' pet insurance but were turned down as it didn't happen in a public place. Mrs Blundell claims bad blood developed between the couples, saying: 'They would sneakily film us, hurl abuse at us. 'Alison would drive past really slowly… call us all the names under the sun, trying to irk a reaction. 'When they would go past, they would bark at us and growl, pretending to be dogs. 'They have shown no guilt or remorse and would even sing 'Who Let the Dogs Out?' as they passed. The couple contacted Norfolk Police in April 2023 to report the dog bite and harassment, as they said the Girdiefskis were filming them at the clubhouse to contradict Mrs Blundell's claim she had been left fearful of dogs since the attack. Officers gave words of advice to Mrs Girdiefski and put Ziggy on the force's register of dangerous dogs but took no further action due to the lack of evidence available after so much time had passed. They also decided no offence had been committed in relation to filming. A few weeks later Mrs Girdiefski was spoken to under caution by officers and issued with an Acceptable Behaviour Contract after the Blundells made a further complaint about harassment and threats to cause criminal damage. Police concluded no crime had been committed after receiving a further complaint earlier this year – following which the Blundells to launched the civil case as they were frustrated at the lack of progress. Mrs Blundell, who says a plastic surgeon quoted £1,500 to fix the scar on her wrist, said: 'All we wanted was an apology. Alison has abused us so many times and even threatened to burn our lodge down. 'At some points, I have literally broken down. We do not want animosity with anyone and this is not the retirement we want.' The Girdiefski's deny every claim made against them and said relations with their neighbours remained amicable for more than a year after the dog bite. Mr Girdiefski, who works in forensic litigation, said: 'We saw them multiple times after the incident. They were very friendly still. We even went for dinner at their lodge… 'Suddenly, out of the blue, they were asking for our pet insurance details and told us they would be making a claim.' Referring to the claim being turned down, his wife added: 'From this point on things changed. We thought they were doing this for money. Why else would they be doing it? 'We, from day one, have accepted responsibility. Our Ziggy did bite Mercina and we have never denied this. 'We wanted it settled [out of court] and have made multiple attempts to settle the matter with them.' Mr Blundell, who played 'Daddy' Pongo Banks in the brutal 1970s prison drama Scum and Leader of the Rockers in Quadrophenia – appearing opposite Ray Winstone in both films - added: 'This is absolutely nothing to do with financial gain at all. It is simply about accountability.' Lord Somerleyton, whose resort is frequented by celebrities including EastEnders stars Charlie Brooks and James Farrar and was used to film E4 reality show The Real Dirty Dancing with Anthea Turner and singer Lee Ryan - confirmed he had tried to orchestrate peace between the couples. 'We offered to sit down and try and talk things through and settle the feud in our own family business style kind of way,' he said. 'But the disagreement escalated well beyond our control and, once it ended up in court, there was not much more we could have done.' There have been several civil hearings, resulting in a judgement against the Girdiefskis. At the latest hearing, in Great Yarmouth Magistrates Court late last month, the Girdiefskis were told a settlement figure would be decided during a hearing at Norwich County County Court later this year. Mrs Girdiefski, whose principle property is in Norwich, said: 'These sums of money are just ridiculous – the sort of money you would expect to be paying somebody who has had their face ripped off by a dog, not this mere 1.2cm cut.' Norfolk Police confirmed they had been contacted about a number of alleged incidents including a dog allegedly being dangerously out of control and a hate crime but had not taken action. A spokeswoman said of alleged harassment and threats to cause criminal damage between May 9, 2023, and July 7, 2023: 'A woman was questioned under caution (voluntary police interview). 'She was issued with an Acceptable Behaviour Contract in connection with anti-social behaviour which outlined she should not contact the victim/s.'
The Sun
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
EastEnders & The Bill actor at war with neighbours after wife had hand bitten by tiny dog Ziggy
EASTENDERS star John Blundell is locked in a four-year legal battle with his neighbours after his wife was bitten by their dog. The bitter dispute started when John's wife, Mercina, was nipped by a Chinese crested dog, called Ziggy, while the couple were staying at their holiday home near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. 7 7 The actor's relationship with Alison and Andrew Girdiefski soured after the incident in June 2021 - which left Mercina with a scar on her wrist. Since the bite, the Blundells claim that they have been harassed by their neighbours. Mercina accused the pair of targeting her and her husband by singing "who let the dogs out" and filming them when nearby. But the Girdiefski's have denied these claims, explaining that relations between the two couples had been fine before issues with insurance cropped up. Mr Girdiefski said: 'We saw them multiple times after the incident. "They were very friendly still. We even went for dinner at their lodge. "Suddenly - out of the blue - they were asking for our pet insurance details and told us they would be making a claim." Alison added: "We were still all happy when they were going through the pet insurance stage and there was no animosity at all at this point. "But when they learned that the pet insurance wouldn't pay out to them because the incident took place inside the holiday lodge, things changed." The bite occurred two months after the Blundells purchased their lodge at Fritton Lake resort, which has more than 100 lodges for sale - ranging up to £350,000. The resort is owned by Lord Somerleyton and features 5,000 acres of countryside, a bar, restaurant, outdoor pool, gym, tennis courts and a floating sauna. The Bill star John and his wife had been in their neighbour's lodge when she was bitten. Kate Lawler locked in bitter row with neighbour after controversial move - whose side are YOU on- Her wound was later treated at the nearby James Paget Hospital. They made a claim on their neighbour's pet insurance, but were denied because it didn't occur in a public space. It was from this point that Mercina claims the couple started verbally abusing her and her husband. She said: "They would sneakily film us and hurl abuse at us. "Alison would drive past really slowly. She would call us all the names under the sun and try to irk a reaction. "When they would go past, they would bark at us and growl, pretending to be dogs. "They have shown no guilt or remorse and would even sing 'Who Let the Dogs Out?' as they passed. "All we wanted was an apology. Alison has abused us so many times and even threatened to burn our lodge down. "At some points, I have literally broken down. "We do not want animosity with anyone and this is not the retirement we want." John added: "We now go back to our home in Camden in London for a rest. "This was supposed to be an idyllic holiday retreat and it has turned into a living nightmare." 7 7 They contacted Norfolk Police in April 2023, reporting the dog bite and harassment. Ziggy was placed on the register of dangerous dogs and the couple were given a talking to by cops. John and Mercina then launched a civil case after police confirmed no further action was to be taken in relation to harassment. The Girdiefskis have already spent tens of thousand of pounds on legal fees, with final costs yet to be ruled in court. Mrs Girdiefski fumed: "These sums of money are just ridiculous. "This is the sort of money you would expect to be paying somebody who has had their face ripped off by a dog, not this mere 1.2cm cut. "We thought they were doing this for money. Why else would they be doing it? "From day one, we have accepted responsibility. Our Ziggy did bite Mercina and we have never denied this. "We wanted it settled and have made multiple attempts to settle the matter with them." John responded: "This is absolutely nothing to do with financial gain at all. "It is simply about accountability." A final settlement figure will be decided at Norwich County Court later this year. 7
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EastEnders and The Bill actor at war with neighbours over fight for compensation after his wife's finger was bitten by their dog at luxury holiday lodge
With tough guy roles in films such as Quadrophenia and Scum, John Blundell seems like he could handle anything. But the actor has revealed he and his wife Mercina are struggling to enjoy breaks at their luxury lodge in an upmarket resort over a bitter four-year legal dispute with neighbours. Relations with Alison and Andrew Girdiefski soured after their tiny Chinese crested dog, Ziggy, bit Mrs Blundell, leaving her with a scar on her wrist. The dispute that spiralled out of the incident has resulted in the Blundells contacting police to claim they had been verbally abused, filmed, barked at and even had 'Who Let the Dogs Out?' sung at them. But the Girdiefski's firmly deny the claims, point out all criminal investigations have been dropped and say the Blundells remained friends with them – even inviting them to dinner – until an insurance claim over the dog bite incident faltered. The drama has played out at Fritton Lake, near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, which is owned by Lord Somerleyton who tried – unsuccessfully – to mediate between the warring couples. The resort, set in 5,000 acres of countryside, has 115 lodges that sell for up to £350,000, while owners pay an £8,000 ground rent that includes access to a clubhouse with a bar, restaurant, outdoor pool, gym, tennis and volleyball courts, a shop – and a floating sauna. Mr Blundell, 66, who has also appeared in EastEnders, The Bill, Just Good Friends and Juliet Bravo, complained: 'We now go back to our home in Camden in London for a rest. 'This was supposed to be an idyllic holiday retreat and it has turned into a living nightmare.' Mrs Girdiefski, a 61-year-old project manager – who has so far spent £19,000 on solicitor's fees and expects a damages bill of up to £11,000 after admitting liability, countered: 'We were still all happy when they were going through the pet insurance stage and there was no animosity at all at this point. 'But when they learned that the pet insurance wouldn't pay out to them because the incident took place inside the holiday lodge, things changed.' She and her husband suspect their neighbours are 'doing this for the money' – an allegation flatly denied by the Blundells. Ziggy nipped at Mrs Blundell on June 21, 2021, two months after she and her husband bought their lodge. They had walked around 600ft through woodland to visit the Girdiefskis for the first time and were inside their property admiring their skylights. The bite broke the skin on Mrs Blundell's wrist and left her with a half-inch scar after she went to James Paget Hospital in Gorleston for treatment. The couple subsequently made a claim on the Girdiefskis' pet insurance but were turned down as it didn't happen in a public place. Mrs Blundell claims bad blood developed between the couples, saying: 'They would sneakily film us, hurl abuse at us. 'Alison would drive past really slowly… call us all the names under the sun, trying to irk a reaction. 'When they would go past, they would bark at us and growl, pretending to be dogs. 'They have shown no guilt or remorse and would even sing 'Who Let the Dogs Out?' as they passed. The couple contacted Norfolk Police in April 2023 to report the dog bite and harassment, as they said the Girdiefskis were filming them at the clubhouse to contradict Mrs Blundell's claim she had been left fearful of dogs since the attack. Officers gave words of advice to Mrs Girdiefski and put Ziggy on the force's register of dangerous dogs but took no further action due to the lack of evidence available after so much time had passed. They also decided no offence had been committed in relation to filming. A few weeks later Mrs Girdiefski was spoken to under caution by officers and issued with an Acceptable Behaviour Contract after the Blundells made a further complaint about harassment and threats to cause criminal damage. Police concluded no crime had been committed after receiving a further complaint earlier this year – following which the Blundells to launched the civil case as they were frustrated at the lack of progress. Mrs Blundell, who says a plastic surgeon quoted £1,500 to fix the scar on her wrist, said: 'All we wanted was an apology. Alison has abused us so many times and even threatened to burn our lodge down. 'At some points, I have literally broken down. We do not want animosity with anyone and this is not the retirement we want.' The Girdiefski's deny every claim made against them and said relations with their neighbours remained amicable for more than a year after the dog bite. Mr Girdiefski, who works in forensic litigation, said: 'We saw them multiple times after the incident. They were very friendly still. We even went for dinner at their lodge… 'Suddenly, out of the blue, they were asking for our pet insurance details and told us they would be making a claim.' Referring to the claim being turned down, his wife added: 'From this point on things changed. We thought they were doing this for money. Why else would they be doing it? 'We, from day one, have accepted responsibility. Our Ziggy did bite Mercina and we have never denied this. 'We wanted it settled [out of court] and have made multiple attempts to settle the matter with them.' Mr Blundell, who played 'Daddy' Pongo Banks in the brutal 1970s prison drama Scum and Leader of the Rockers in Quadrophenia – appearing opposite Ray Winstone in both films - added: 'This is absolutely nothing to do with financial gain at all. It is simply about accountability.' Lord Somerleyton, whose resort is frequented by celebrities including EastEnders stars Charlie Brooks and James Farrar and was used to film E4 reality show The Real Dirty Dancing with Anthea Turner and singer Lee Ryan - confirmed he had tried to orchestrate peace between the couples. 'We offered to sit down and try and talk things through and settle the feud in our own family business style kind of way,' he said. 'But the disagreement escalated well beyond our control and, once it ended up in court, there was not much more we could have done.' There have been several civil hearings, resulting in a judgement against the Girdiefskis. At the latest hearing, in Great Yarmouth Magistrates Court late last month, the Girdiefskis were told a settlement figure would be decided during a hearing at Norwich County County Court later this year. Mrs Girdiefski, whose principle property is in Norwich, said: 'These sums of money are just ridiculous – the sort of money you would expect to be paying somebody who has had their face ripped off by a dog, not this mere 1.2cm cut.' Norfolk Police confirmed they had been contacted about a number of alleged incidents including a dog allegedly being dangerously out of control and a hate crime but had not taken action. A spokeswoman said of alleged harassment and threats to cause criminal damage between May 9, 2023, and July 7, 2023: 'A woman was questioned under caution (voluntary police interview). 'She was issued with an Acceptable Behaviour Contract in connection with anti-social behaviour which outlined she should not contact the victim/s.'
The Sun
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
I came home to find my nightmare neighbour knocking down my DOOR – he claimed it was his right to do it
A RETIRED banking boss was shocked after discovering his neighbour had knocked down his door. Nicholas Patrick-Hiley and his wife Lisa won £10,000 in a court battle with Parliament's master bell-ringer Adrian Udal, 65 after the latter ripped out the front gate of their £2million home in Fulham, West London. 5 5 5 Former Panmure Gordon Securities top executive Nicholas, 64, purchased the property in August 2023 to commemorate his retirement. But the homeowner's mood was dampened when he arrived to find the door and roller gate demolished by the bell ringer. Udal claimed that he had merely been asserting rights over land he owns when ripping out the previous gate and installing a new one at the end of the driveway. The couple sued for an injunction against Mr Udal, claiming the right to put up new gates across the opening which leads to their house, citing "security concerns" in the affluent street. Judge Nicholas Parfitt KC ruled in favour of the couple, ordering Mr Udal to pay the couple £10,000. Mr Udal is a veteran bell-ringer at St Margaret's Church next to Westminster Abbey, which acts as the church for the Houses of Parliament. The neighbouring homes have an unusual layout, with Patrick-Hileys' home situated behind Mr Udal's property and is reachable via a drive and a passageway, the court heard. Mr Udal owns the drive and passageway which the Patrick-Hileys pass through to arrive at their home, but the couple maintain the right to use it. Mr Udal insisted that their rights over the passage did not include passing through by car or parking a vehicle on it. Representing the Patrick-Hileys, Mark Warwick KC told Mayors and City County Court that the incident began when they found Mr Udal destroying the door and gate at around 12pm on move in day. Moment neighbour smashes flats with axe in horror siege - before donning scuba gear, clutching spear & hiding in bathtub The bell ringer continued with the demolition works into the early evening accompanied by another individual. "They were also disconnecting wiring that connected the property to various services," Mr Warwick KC said. "No advance warning of any kind had been given by Mr Udal, or anyone on his behalf, that such extraordinary behaviour was going to happen. "His actions were plainly carefully pre-planned. No amount of persuasion, including the involvement of the police, has caused him to resile, or seemingly regret, his actions. "The impact of these actions, and contentions, has been serious, their quiet enjoyment and actual enjoyment of their home has been disrupted." Ultimately, Judge Nicholas Parfitt KC ruled in favour of the Patrick Hileys, stating that Mr Udal was "a poor witness who came across as preferring his own perception of what might be helpful to his own case, regardless of any objective reality". He added: "Mr Udal's actions in respect of the roller gates and furniture was an inappropriate and wrongful act of wanton destruction designed, in my view, to, at best, take advantage of the gap between owners occurring at completion, and conduct which any reasonable and objective person should have realised would cause considerable upset and discomfort to the new owners. "I also find that his the claimants' internet cable for about six weeks; they also led to a lack of privacy and meant that Mrs Patrick-Hiley in particular felt uneasy about coming home after dark. "This [behaviour] was inappropriate and unneighbourly and my impression of Mr Udal is that he is likely, if given the opportunity, to think of other ways in which he can interfere with the claimants' rights if his own ability to believe his own arguments and language constructions manages to suggest them. "It follows that the claimants' rights need to be vindicated by the granting of declarations and injunctions for their reasonable protection and to limit the risk of a repetition. "The removal of the roller gates and furniture was a trespass to property and the general conduct on 25 August 2025 was a nuisance and in particular a wrongful interference with the claimants' easements. "The defendant's conduct has continued as a sporadic and occasional interference."
Daily Mail
08-06-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE My neighbours have built an extension over my property by 15 INCHES... it has destroyed my home and left me facing £85k bill
A single mother has claimed a neighbour 'destroyed' her home after building a new wall that encroaches onto her property by 15 inches. Brenda Grant, from Uxbridge, west London, said Amarjit Singh Dhunna sliced her plastic conservatory roof to build his own extension wall, but left small gaps allowing water to run and leak into her property. After taking the case to court, Ms Grant owes £25k to her solicitor and fears she could lose her home of 22 years. The mother-of-one also faces a £60k bill to fix the water damage to her walls and floors. Ms Grant told MailOnline: 'Since he cut the roof, water has been coming into the conservatory; I have a report from a builder that it is destroyed. 'This has made me depressed. I have anxiety and panic attacks. I lock myself in the house and I am withdrawn, I don't come out. 'My son [is so depressed] he doesn't go to school. Basically he locks himself in his room.' Do YOU have a story? Email After the building work went ahead in March 2021, Ms Grant lodged a complaint claiming she had never been informed and businessman Mr Dhunna did not have planning permission to cut the roof and build over it. A small store room connects her property to Mr Dhunna's next door and the pair disagree about where the boundary lies. However, when Ms Grant got a land surveyor out to investigate, a report suggested Mr Dhunna's new wall hangs over the boundary line by 0.4metres - around 15 inches. She claims her neighbour had no right to cut the plastic roof and argued the new wall clearly hangs over onto her land. Ms Grant said: 'I sit in the house and I cry all day because I can't believe that someone's cut my roof. 'It's traumatising to point that I just want to kill myself, [...] even my son wanted to kill himself because of the amount of emotional stress, panic attacks, and he's lost out on five years of his life.' In October 2021, months after the work took place, Mr Dhunna - who does not live in the property but houses tenants there - received retrospective planning permission for the build by Hillingdon Council. 'It was given to him even though I tried to tell the council that he's on my land,' Ms Grant said. The red line shows the boundary between the two properties. The green line suggests Mr Dhunna's new roof line is hanging over onto Ms Grant's land 'When they cut the roof, because they didn't put any gutter in or any lead flashing, when it rains the water comes down into the property, so it's destroyed the conservatory. 'The floor is sunk and the walls have subsided inside. So the builder said it's £60,000 for that.' Ms Grant claims she has hired three land surveyors who have all stated encroachment onto her land. The court case is set to continue next week at Central London County Court. Ms Grant worked in customer service for British Airways but was let go as a result of poor mental health. She has now set up a GoFundMe in a desperate bid to raise the money for her legal costs.
