BIN WARS
I had a two-year bin war with my next door neighbour – I screamed at her on my driveway & even set up CCTV to catch her
Scroll down to find out how, incredibly, the two were able to patch up their differences and are now best friends
QUIETLY opening her front door late at night, Gemma Smith crept outside with a bulging bin bag in hand.
Darting over to her neighbour’s wheelie bin, she raised the lid, shoved her bag in and scooted back inside.
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It was a routine she had carried out almost weekly for over a year as part of an ongoing feud with Sophie Wood.
The fallout, which was entirely mutual, culminated in the pair setting up secret cameras to catch each other out.
Gemma, 31, who lives in Hastings, East Sussex, says: “I became obsessed with getting one up on Sophie.
“I spent hours staring out of my window, to see if I could catch her.
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“When that didn’t work I set up a baby monitor pointed at the bins, and eventually caught her red-handed.
“But she was every bit as engaged as I was.
"We’d yell at each other in the street — I can honestly say I grew to hate her, all because of rubbish.
“I would even put black bin bags into her recycling bin.”
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Gemma and Sophie’s clash over trash is far from unique.
Many local authorities now have only fortnightly collections.
I proudly rummage in bins to save designer goods - people can’t believe how I find Vivienne Westwood for free and I know I can make a mint on Vinted
While this saves councils such as York and Birmingham, and many local authorities in London including Greenwich, Brent and Bexley, millions of pounds, it leaves some residents with overflowing bins.
Even before the move to fortnightly collections, a report by insurance firm Churchill suggested 5.8 million people had engaged in “bin wars” with their neighbours within the previous year, with one in 20 rows leading to physical fights.
Putting your rubbish in someone else’s bin — known as “bin stuffing” — is deemed antisocial behaviour and illegal.
When Gemma moved next door to Sophie, 34, who is unemployed, in November 2020 they were civil to one another.
Gemma, who is single and doesn’t work due to stress, says: “Sophie seemed nice and we’d stop and exchange pleasantries.
“But it all changed at the beginning of 2022, when Sophie’s bin was full and she put her rubbish bag in mine.
“I took it out and put it on top of her bin.
“It fell off, gulls pecked at it and there was rubbish everywhere.”
Both women refused to clear up the mess, claiming it was the other one’s fault.
Gemma says: “I felt so angry.
We were both as bad as each other — we’d walk past each other and I’d tell her she was a lazy cow and to clean up after herself
Gemma Smith
“There was cat litter spread all over my drive — it was absolutely disgusting and we ended up shouting at each other.
“We were both as bad as each other — we’d walk past each other and I’d tell her she was a lazy cow and to clean up after herself.
“We’d scream insults at each other.
“Barely a week went by without one of us moving the bin bags around, it just took over.
“Part of the problem was that our bins are only emptied every other week, so the volume of rubbish is a huge nuisance.
“I’d dread seeing Sophie and at times I wouldn’t leave the house just to avoid her.”
Within six months Sophie had set up a CCTV camera and threatened to report Gemma to the council.
In retaliation, Gemma set up the baby monitor — which can record video — to try to pin more wrongdoing on Sophie.
She explains: “I hoped to catch her letting her dog foul my drive.
“If she didn’t clear it up I could contact environmental health as I thought she’d get into more trouble for that.”
Then last July Sophie spotted Gemma in tears on her doorstep following a burglary at her home.
Gemma says: “Sophie came straight round and asked if there was anything she could do.
Now we laugh about bin wars . . . neither of us can believe we let it spiral so out of control
Gemma Smith
“She brought me a cuppa and, just like that, all our anger disappeared.
“We are now the best of friends and help each other out all the time.
“Sophie even helped me paint my flat and when I was recently in hospital, she was the first person to visit, bringing me goodies.
“Now we laugh about bin wars . . . neither of us can believe we let it spiral so out of control.
“I even let her put her rubbish in my bin if she needs to.”
Sophie, who lives with husband, Steve, 39, and their 16-year-old daughter, says: “I did start it by putting a bag in her bin, but as it was being emptied the next day, I didn’t see it would be a problem.
“But she kicked off and it went from there.
“I do get annoyed easily and find it hard to let things go, so we are both equally to blame.
“I didn’t let my dog mess on her path deliberately.
“I was going to clear it up, but Gemma found it before I’d had a chance to.
“I’m so glad it’s over now, though.
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“When I saw Gemma so upset that time I knew I had to help and we both realised how bonkers we’d been.
“I’m so glad we can laugh about it — she’s become not just a great neighbour but a great friend.”
How to complain about a neighbour to the council
If you have tried and failed to resolve your neighbourly issue by talking to your neighbour you can approach your local council.
Before approaching your council you should always try to compromise with your neighbours.
Consider neighbour mediation before instructing lawyers to try and resolve disputes.
If their behaviour crosses into verbal abuse and intimidation that can be classed as antisocial behaviour.
You can ask the police to get involved when your neighbours are rowdy or inconsiderate, damage your property or dump rubbish.
In this case injunctions can be imposed, fines can be handed out, or courts could make Criminal Behaviour Orders (formerly known as ASBOs).
For extreme cases the nuisance neighbours can be evicted or rehoused.
You need to keep a log of all the incidents so you can accurately report the issue.
In the event of an emergency, such as if your neighbour physically attacks you, always call 999.
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