A Neighbor’s Four-Year Campaign of Destruction
A man has been caught on camera destroying his neighbor’s riverbank using a digger, as part of what he described as a four-year campaign to protect his own land from erosion. The incident took place near the River Tonge in Bolton, Greater Manchester, where the waterway has become a source of tension between two residents living on opposite sides.
Andrea Marland, one of the affected neighbors, captured the moment when her neighbor, Sam Bancroft, drove a digger onto her property and began moving soil from one side of the river to the other. She claims that over the past four years, Mr. Bancroft has dug a 90-meter trench through her land and built a ramp to facilitate access for the machinery.
Marland has lived by the riverside for more than 30 years, and she said the actions of her neighbor have been deeply distressing. “He’s not asked for permission or given a reason why he’s doing it,” she said. “It seems he does what he wants and gets away with it.” She added that the situation has left her feeling helpless, angry, and emotionally drained.
Mr. Bancroft claimed that the work was necessary to prevent his land from eroding. However, environmental watchdogs warned him in 2021 and 2025 that he did not have the required permits for flood risk activity. Despite this, he continued the work until July 2024, when the Environment Agency ordered him to stop.
Local resident Pauline Riley expressed frustration with the Environment Agency’s response, stating that they had not even visited the river to assess the damage. “After four years of us telling them what he’s done, they’ve done nothing,” she said. “They’ve not even been down to the river to look at what he’s done.”
Wildlife Concerns and Legal Battles
The digging has also raised concerns among wildlife campaigners, who believe it has disrupted habitats for species such as kingfishers. Mr. Bancroft admitted that he could not afford the necessary permits but insisted that he had not damaged any other properties.
Meanwhile, another dispute has emerged in Oxfordshire, where a neighborly feud escalated over an “unsightly” bin. Stuart Hunt took Kevin and Kelly Elizabeth Harrison-Ellis to court, claiming their bungalow extension ruined his view. The legal battle ended with the couple being ordered to pay £25,000 and over £100,000 in legal fees.
Hunt, however, faced his own legal issues when he was accused of bulldozing a lamppost outside his £2.3 million home. Neighbors alleged that he removed the lamppost himself and obstructed contractors sent by the council to replace it. Court documents revealed that the lamppost was removed in March 2022, during building work at his property.
Goring Parish Council stated that the lamppost was “unlawfully removed,” but Hunt argued that he had requested its removal in October 2021. Although the county council did not respond to his request, the judge accepted that the village was in the process of replacing all lampposts.
Eventually, a compromise was reached, and the lamppost was replaced in a location approved by Hunt.
