Right, this means war (From Stroud News and Journal)

Right, this means war

BATTLE lines have been drawn up in Brimscombe between two warring families.

The Lloyd family were furious when a neighbour dumped a battered old car on their Brimscombe Lane land this week.

At first they were furious to discover police were powerless to remove it but then to add insult to injury the Lloyds were told if they moved the car themselves to public land, they could be prosecuted.

For more than three weeks the neighbour known only as Glen and the Lloyds have been locked in a dispute that started over the young man's pet cat.

His declaration of war came on the same day as allegations he used a hosepipe to soak Mr and Mrs Lloyd, both 69, in retaliation because his accused them of tying his cat to a car.

The Lloyd's son, Dilwyn, said the a Citroen BX appeared his family's land, next door to where Glen, 21, lives with girlfriend Kerry and six-month-old baby Harvey.

Dilwyn said words were exchanged outside the property and he rang 999.

"Then Glen appeared with the hose pipe and soaked my mum to the skin."

The Lloyds, who live at Port Terrace, have owned the patch of land for 18 years.

Winifred Lloyd said: "We have been told if we put the car on the road we are responsible.

"You struggle to buy land then it seems everyone else has the right to park on your property.It has gone beyond a joke." Glen has denied using the hose but admitted dumping his car. He said he did it because he found his young cat tied up on the land.

Dilwyn suggested the cat might have accidentally got tangled but Glen said : "A piece of string was tied right round his middle. "There was no way he could have done it himself."

Dilwyn said he called 999 on Wednesday evening but police did not come out to investigate until the following day.

Police spokesman Steve Partridge confirmed police received a call at 6.28pm but established there was no immediate danger. It was agreed that officers would visit the following day.

Mr Partridge added that cars left on private property are the responsibility of the landowner. Police only deal with them if they are obstructing public highways and posing a danger to road users.

Cars left on public land are dealt with by the district council.