Contact Numbers for the Media


A list of contact numbers of members in various parts of the country,
who have indicated that they are willing to speak to the media

Entries in RED text have been added since October 2007.
Entries in ORANGE text have been added since May 2005, just before the High Hedges Law came into force.
The entries in BLUE text were added, or have been re-contacted since February 2003
We regret that it is not possible for us to contact all these people regularly so inevitably some of their circumstances will have changed


Wales | North East | North West | Liverpool | Midlands | Anglia | London | South West | South East | South Central



    * The appropriate regional organiser may be able to supply the names of additional members who are willing to talk to the Media.
        For a list of regional organisers (For Media only. Please tell us which media outlet you represent)

    * For photographs of problem hedges photopages

    * For policy or news, ring one of our Central Contacts. Central Contacts


    NORTH EAST
  • SALLY, GRANTHAM, LINCS, Tel. 01476 418164 Sallyanthony@ntlworld.com
  • PATRICK, DONCASTER Message from a hedge victim -'l am 75 yr's old and l am recovering from a major stroke, l do have a wheel chair but l push it ! I will do anything I can to help you get rid of the hedge problem Tel. 01302 724037 Akaverona@aol.com
  • JOE, GATESHEAD, Tall Leylandii growing behind existing high hedge. Tel. 0191 482 1112   joe@bennison80.freeserve.co.uk
  • HARRY, STAMBLESBY, NR LOUTH (LN) 4 or 5 foot laurel hedge, a couple of feet from in front of his window.Roots are fetching his path up. His wife is arthritic, He & his wife are in their 80's. Letters to offending neighbours are torn up. Tel. 01507 343721.
  • ROS, SHEFFIELD, Tel. 0114 2661430.Huge hedge which ruins her garden completely.
  • KARL, LINCOLN 01522 821419. Hedge is 20' high & 20' long. He ouldn't sell property; People looked at the interior and were impressed, but when it came to the lounge where the ouitlook was obscured by the hedge they went away, no longer interested. The trees hang 3'-4' over boundary. Nothing grows in shade. The grass cutter complains that he cannot trim the grass because of the hedge.
  • When the property was left empty because of inability to sell, people used the garden as a short-cut to the main road. It was rented to 4 different sets of people. All were unsatisfactory. On his last approach to the neighbour, Karl was told, 'if you feel so strongly about it take us to court'.
  • TERRY YOEMANS, NEWCASTLE, Tel. 01670 821097
  • NANCY & PETER, WAKEFIELD, 01924 367467 websters@nanpema.freeserve.co.uk Leylandii row was up to 30 feet, now cut to just below 20 feet, but it has a scruffy unkempt appearance, not at all like other neighbours' hedges. It is growing back fast
  • JOHN, SCUNTHORPE , The hedge was 35 feet. At present cut to just over 15 but still growing. 50 foot of the hedge is within 6 feet of house. Another 150 feet comes within 2 feet of the garage. The hedge overhung by 4 feet and he has broken glass in his greenhouse. In order to have access to the property Mr Barlow had to cut 4 foot off a 200 foot length of hedge. He had to cut into the old wood and he a says 'it is just a brown and untidy and disgusting'. He says 'I am so frustratedI don't know what to do'. John is 81 Tel. 01724 843164
  • TONY, SHEFFIELD, 0114 248 2824 , 30 foot leylandii secondary hedge behind our members' own old thorn hedge. The leyland are stifling the thorn hedge, growing out over Tony's garden and taking his light. Last year the owner of the Leyland hedge told Tony's 90 year old mum that she could cut the overhang.
  • JOHN SHEARER, WALLSEND, TYNE & WEAR, 0191 263 1864
  • R F HEYS, 01422 824570
  • G. GIBBONS, SUNDERLAND , 0191 536 7687 Bad hedge Cut slightly over in inconspicuous place. Taken to court, have had to pay a regular 40 out of pension in costs and fines
  • DAVID HUNTER, HUDDERSFIELD , 01484 531228 Trees now 35 feet all and overhang 12 feet.
  • Mr J McLAREN, 01274 418 407 3 trees have fallen over past few years on to James's garden. Now wall pushed over and greenhouse damaged. Hedge owner unapproachable.
    NORTH WEST
  • DAVID, SHREWSBURY, SHROPSHIRE.  01743 231022, Mobile 07977 889141, email: info@activeye.co.uk 30ft plus leylandii hedge, effectively cutting off 1-2 hours of sunlight in the summer.
  • DAVID, WIGAN, LANCS. Tel. 01942 700803 Monolithic black wall of Leylandii which puts the family off using the garden and cuts off evening sunlight they once sunlight they had and views of the sunset they once had.
  • COLIN, WILMSLOW, CHESHIRE. Tel. 01625 535543 Line of very big leyandii on boundary. neighbour will do nothing.
  • SUE, ALTRINCHAM, CHESHIRE. Tel: 0161 969 8221. 25 foot high Leylandii 8 foot from her gable and 25 foof high hawthorn at the bottom of her garden. Lawn brown. flowers not growing properly and light on all the time in certain rooms.
  • ANDREW MACDONALD, LEYLAND, NORTH WEST. mobile: 07850 763535 (he is sometimes abroad) 30 foot Leyland Cyress hedge. At one point four feet from his house Photographs
  • MRS H B HARRIS, SALFORD, 0161 794 4610 Very high hedge. She cannot grow her show flowers
  • HUGH CUSSONS-GOODWIN, WINCHAM, CHESHIRE, 01606 49497
  • MR M BARRON, PRESTON, LANCS, 01772 811302,
  • MR & MRS BL HALL, WIGAN, LANCS, 01942 497282,
  • MISS L BARNES, MACCLESFIELD, 01625 428313 Leylandii cuts out 50% of her living room light
  • MRS A. RAINHILL, 0151 426 3848 Hedge 20 ft high 22 ft from back of her house Sun obsured from over half her garden and her own plants seriously affected.
  • MARTYN HOLLAND, NR MOLD, DENBYSHIRE, 01824 780703 Surrounded on two sides Fear light will be blocked, the old hedges will be killed.
  • Ms A BALL AND MR M SMITH, WIGAN, 01942 831807, Email: ms001h5346_2@blueyonder.co.uk
  • NEIL THORLEY, LUDLOW. 01584 711304
  • JOHN JONES, 6 VICTORIA FIELDS, OSWESTRY, SHROPSHIRE, SY11 2BT, jvjones@lineone.net
    LIVERPOOL
  • MRS H AINSWORTH , RAINHILL, 0151 426 3848 Hedge 20 feet high 22 feet from back of her house. Sun obsured from over half her garden and her own plants seriously affected.
  • PAUL, BIRKENHEAD, 0151 652 6725, 07866 738565 (mobile) Paul.Johnson@littlewoods.co.uk Council hedge of 50 feet damaging his property, deprive him of light and have acknowledged damage and have refused to allow them to be touched. Welcomes publicity
    MIDLANDS
  • ROBERT, NEWARK, NOTTS, 01623 863574
  • ALAN, nr COVENTRY. 024 7634 0984. Several large Ash & Conifers & Silverbirch. Birch are 30ft high one side of garden. Other side 2 large sycamore. Only light in garden is from 11 - 3. He is 81 years of age. The sycamore belong to the council who will do nothing about them. Alan gave up gardening. Says when he used to feed his garden the trees took it all.
  • JOHN, BRIDGENORTH Tel. 01746 780057. A huge Leylandii hedge overhangs and batters the roof of John's house and threatening the main drains. Absentee landlord lives in Spain. The tenant is most willing to do something about the hedge but the landlord will not let him so the neighbours on both sides are powerless before this hedge.
  • MICHAEL HILL, KENILWORTH, 01926 854889 Still roof height though 18 feet have just been lopped off. (frequently away)
  • MR D GUPTA, COVENTRY, 024 7641 5417, Very High Hedge Damage to parking area and garage foundations. Has been refused insurance.
  • Mr Alan BOULTER, SOLIHULL, WEST MIDLANDS, Tel. 0121 706 7597 Damage. He took neighbour to court, She had legal aid, It was ruled that she must take the trees out. This done she then replanted at a just over 2 meter distance, a 30 foot line of 5 meter high leylandii
    ANGLIA
  • MARGERY - NORWICH.area 01379 677524 Wants to sell house. 80 years of age and has 110 foot long leylandii hedge up to 15 feet tall. 6 foot from sunlounge & 18 inches from wall- There are cracks in both. She has paid out 300 to get rid of overhanging branches. She is disabled.
  • Stella, CHELMSFORD 01245 323 007 60ft high leylandii hedge 30 ft. long. No apparent owner of trees. These trees do not seem to be owned by anyone.
  • SUE FREEMAN, COLCHESTER, Tel: 01206 798890. s_freeman@sagainternet.co.uk (underscore between 's' and 'freeman')
    Line of 30 foot leylandii pushing fences over, growing right out over her newly landscaped garden and killing grass and plants.
  • ALBERT, CHELMSFORD, ESSEX, potentially huge problem, 01279 730349, albert.neilson@btopenword.com
    The growing hedge is 3 foot from house at one point and runs for at least 100 feet.
  • RON AND CHRIS, NORTH LONDON, Tel. 020 8441 9926 Now twenty trees at 40 to 50 feet. There were many more and they were 60 to 70 feet. Mr Goodman has photos. The hedge is 20 feet from kitchen and taking all the light from once sunny south facing rooms. Darkness for whole winter.
  • MIKE, ELSTREE - HERTS, JUST NORTH OF LONDON. Tel. 020 8387 5673 email. qvsp@btinternet.com There are 5 neighbours hall suffering from a 30 foot hedge. The gardens are South facing and are in shade for a lot of the time. Three sets of neighbours have complained so far. There have been promises to cut it so far not carried out. ( at May 03)
  • MR NICHOLLS, MILTON KEYNES, 01908 617987 20 foot hedge, blocks light and views and they cannot manage to control the overhang.
  • MR & MRS R CRIPPS, COLCHESTER, 01206 212272 Wall of darkness cuts off view of sky
  • MISS E D LACEY, BISHOPS STORTFORD , 0179 7855 14 foot of 20ft Leylandii and Sycamore
  • JILL. Diss, Norfolk, arnie@gtregenza.freeserve.co.uk tel. 01379 641 368 Weekends Only. Leylandii planted over boundary. One blew into her fish pond.
  • MR S THOMPSON, NORWICH, 01502 565426, stewart-thompson@lineone.net
    LONDON
  • HELEN, LONDON. 020 8772 1324, mobile 07887 686 767.  nellym@onetel.net.uk  A large leylandii growing well out over Helen's garden, taking light, stopping plants growing and threatening drains. It is a single tree and not a hedge but it is causing similar problems
  • P MAY & L LION, LONDON, NW8 8QY, 020 7289 1448. 22 feet high planted after earlier leylandii removed in a partially successful court case.
  • TOM BRAZIL, Tel: 0208.9528348. Ex police officer, who welcomes publicity. 10 thirty/forty ft trees on his boundary restricting light and causing damage. A very good new case to publicise.
  • MRS P D STANISZEWSKI, LONDON, 0151 788 9053 Light cut off from house especially in winter. neighbours will not reply to lopping requests.
  • MRS V LINTON-SMITH, LONDON, 020 8788 8427 very small garden 20 foot leyland at end
    SOUTH CENTRAL
  • MARGUERITE, OXFORD Tel: 01993 891710. Has to put up with 15, 40 foot leylandii which shade the garden, except in high summer. She cannot afford the £550 which Oxford council wishes to charge me for using the High Hedges Law.
  • STEPHEN, BRACKNEL, BERKS. TEL 01344 451306: There are two leylandi trees over 40ft tall behind my property and despite an offer to share half the cutting costs they are still there.
  • MOIRA, BOTLEY, HANTS. I have had a bad hedge problem for many years. My council --Eastleigh Borough Council in Hampshire is going to charge between £300 - £450 pounds. I'm a pensioner and my father is 92! Money we can ill afford to pay. Talk about the innocent being penalised! 01489 789541
  • RON, SOUTHAMPTON. Home 01489 557762 mobile 07973 678 312 40-50 ft high Leylandii hedge the whole length of 150 foot garden. Our house has side kitchen and dining room windows and upstairs side bedroom windows. The trees are 6 ft from the side of the house. All we see from these windows is a wall of hedge. At the back of the garden (40ft width) is a 60ft high hedge At the other side of the garden we have about 4 Leylandii trees about 50ft high, 8ft from the house.
  • PETER at MILFORD ON SEA, HAMPSHIRE Tel: 01590 641 542
  • MRS FRANCIS WEBB, HYTHE, SOUTHHAMPTON, TEL:023 8084 1090 2 Small claims wins for cutting back back
  • VICTIM 02380692297 Unmanaged deciduous hedge
  • S H POTTER, BISHOPSTONE, NR SALISBURY, WILTS, 01722 780285,
  • MRS M E WHITTAKER , SPRIGGS, CHURCH WALK, BISHOPS CANNINGS , DEVIZES, WILTS , 01380 860 387, 20 foot high hedge blocking view, light and starting to damage fence
  • KEN LEWIS , BRACKNELL, 01344 454863 25 trees along 40 foot boundary and 28 feet tall. Now removed and replaced with c/b fence problematic laurel on other side.
  • MS C STEVENS , WINCHESTER, 01962 880908 Huge hedge, cuts out light, obliterates view.
  • MR & MRS HUFFELL, EMSWORTH, 01243 371592 8 trees close to house - total shade, mess and ruin their own plants. Now 40 feet high
  • MRS H WICKHAM, BORDEN, HAMPSHIRE, 01428 714234, 30 to 40 feet highHedge puts garden in gloom.
  • MRS B H JEFFREY, OXFORD, Tel. 01869 331311
    SOUTH EAST
  • RON, CHICHESTER, 01243 785864. For over 16 years has endured 30 foot high hedges on three aspects of his property. It costs Ron a fair sum of money annually to keep his neighbour's hedges from overgrowing his garden.
  • SARAH, Rodmell, E Sussex, (01273) 47 2109. No sunlight in garden, and watercress for a lawn.
  • MICHAEL, Nr BATTLE. 01424 830 319 2 rows leylandii. 25 trees, 20ft high. 25 trees, 50ft high. Hemmed in. No light. Difficult to grow anything in garden. Paid 300 to top trees when advised they would fall.
  • DEBBIE, CATERHAM, SURREY, Tel. 01883 34544 leewinch@aol.com We live in a row of small terraced houses with 30ft gardens and at the bottom of our garden our neighbours are growing around a dozen 80ft + leylandii. Growers refuse all attempts to contact them by the victims, mediation or Council. Doors shut in faces. Subsidence, collapsing gardens, impossible to grow grass. No afternoon sun
  • B MACFARLANE , DANEHILL, 01825 740293 45 yards of leylandii, 20 to 25 feet, immediately outside their windows - 4 feet away.
  • FRANCIS (male). RICKMANSWORTH, HERTFORDSHIRE. Tel. 01923 777754. Has been a victim and will now comment on the general issue.
  • ALAN BELL, BIGGIN HILL, KENT, montem@supanet.com
  • SUZANNE ESQUERDEIRO EGHAM, SURREY, 01932 567350,
  • R A & M SHAW, HAYWOOD HEATH, 01444 811792 -22 trees over 40 feet, planted tight against fence
  • MAUREEN NEVILLE, 01903 752296 Hedge was 18 inches from her front door small claims win. Order for removal of hedge+roots, Costs granted + 150 compens. court case
    SOUTH WEST
  • IAN & SUE. CHELTENHAM Tel, 07776 327664. Is happy to discuss his experiences with the new law (It cost £400 and was a very lengthy process)
  • DAVID, POOLE DORSET, Tel, 01202 657075. dwhetton@ntlworld.com. David lives on a large housing estate, in a terraced house, with a small front garden: 15 foot by 15 foot. There is 15 foot high leyland hedge touching the front of the house, blocking all sunlight to the garden and a lot of the light to the kitchen.
  • TONY, NEWNHAM-ON-SEVERN GLOS. Te1. 594 510458 Photos - http://zebulun.documedia.co.uk/hedges.htm .. these shots were taken last year so the hedge is even bigger. they're also now even uglier as the local electricity suppliers have removed some foliage where the hedge interfered with the power cables. My garden is only 20 foot wide
  • VICKY, KINGSBRIDGE, DEVON. Tel. 01548 561813 We have a 36ft leylandii hedge on our boundary which we have been trying to persuade our neighbour to reduce to 12ft, but to no avail.
  • TED, Nr TRURO, 01209 715 454, There is a 90 ft long hedge of laurel 25ft high with Monterey Pine of 50ft in middle. House dark as hedge only 20ft away. Large branches fall from pine. Garden hard to grow. Preservation order has been put on the Monterey pines although known to drop large branches
  • JON, EXETER, 01392 833 860 80ft line of 30ft high leylandii at one side of house 10 ft away. About 20 trees.
  • DAVID ROBERTSON, Nr TEINMOUTH, DEVON 01626 777880 the hedge is 40 to 80 feet on side. He has been advised that the hedge has devalued his property by 40 thousand pounds. Takes winter sunlight from entire garden and is a half dead eyesore.
  • PETER B HARRISON, CHRISTCHURCH, DORSET, Tel. 01425 270295
  • SUE, CIRENCESTER 01285 810178. 25 foot hedge 19 feet from bungalow and towering above it.
  • DIANE, BRISTOL 0117 973787.
  • EDNA ASHMAN, BRISTOL Tel. 01179 868 191 edna@ashmane.freeserve.co.uk
  • MRS V. COYNE , BRADFORD-ON-AVON, WILTS Tel: 01225 865946 30 foot high leylandii two rows 175 trees in all
  • RON WILCOX, BATH, ronwilcox@archtext.co.uk
  • Dr F J STONE, EXETER, DEVON, 01626 891720, fredstone@lineone.net
  • SABITA CHANDA. 01905 425233 An elderly lady with a very bad case.
  • JEAN BROWN, BLANDFORD, 01258 830224
  • RICHARD CANNON, WORCESTER , 01905 620093 Bad hedges
  • DCM & JW AITKEN, BRISTOL, 20 foot along boundary, ruining view. neighbour refuses mediation.
  • MRS JENKINS, WEYMOUTH, 01305 832701 Trees take all the sun from her patio She is 80 a widow, and offered to pay half of pruning costs. Was met with abuse and is not used to bad language she gets from neighbours
  • DIANA & DAVID BRUCE, BRISTOL, 0117 9731787 Fax. 9731998, Shady Garden
  • P J REEVES, BAUGHTON, WORCS. 01684 594112, Worst of problem temp. solved with help of EHO but will recur with regrowth. Fears about invading roots
  • ANNE, BATH, 01225 312056, 40 to 50 feet leylandii on a long hedge. Branches falling, trunks splitting, subsidence, fear of them falling on house.
  • MR & MRS R P PORTER, KEYNESTON BLANDFORD Tel. 01258 456161
  • RICHARD PAYNE, BRISTOL, Tel. 01761 416 977
  • COLIN J & JOAN DAVISON, BRISTOL, Tel. 01275 872921
  • GRAHAM MILLS, KINGSTON SEYMOUR CLEVEDON Tel. 01934 835 404?
  • RICHARD HALLAM, CHELTENHAM. Tel. 012142 516329 Tel. 07769685704
  • ANDREW HERBERT, ROSS-ON-WYE, Tel. 01600 890502
  • R. H. ASHTON, HEREFORD, Tel. 01432 760541
    WALES
  • Julie, CARDIFF, Gutter high leylandii only 25 eet from her house. Tel: 029 20 471644
  • JOHN, BLACKWOOD, GWENT, Tel. 01495 214731 40' high Leyaland hedge, the whole length of his fence. Near his patio doors partially block out the light to the lounge, dining room and patio itself. Overhangs by about 6' to 8'. He cannot remove the overhang or afford to have it removed.
  • Mrs. M., CARDIGAN, 01239 810444. Clear case of malicious planting
  • NEIL, LUDLOW, 01584 711304. Huge hedge on southern side stops sun even in summer and obscures windows
  • Mr and Mrs HARRIS, nr CARDIFF, 029 2051 2573. 20ft high dead hawthorn hedge, overgrown by ivy
  • John, nr CARDIFF, 029 2053 0817. 30ft high leylandii
  • EVELYN, WELSHPOOL, 01938 820547. 20ft-30ft high leylandii, planted close to bungalow wall
  • MIKE LOIZOS, CARDIFF, 029 2057 6600. Leylandii 60ft high. Summer sun gone by 4 p.m; garden fertility affected
  • CARL, WREXHAM, 01244 570836. Leylandii 24ft high, 6ft from house
  • JOHN, OSWESTRY, 01691 657338.
  • MELVIN, CARDIFF area. 02920 891 624. 40ft of 35ft high hedge of leylandii, Xmas trees and some deciduous down SW side of garden. .No sun at all in part of garden. Hedge 6ft. from house in one part of garden. Had to pay for limited lopping 200. These trees affect 4 houses



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