I’ve been ordered to scrap my caravan home after neighbours moaned I rent out my £170k house – I’ve done nothing wrong

A WOMAN dubbed the "neighbour from hell" has been ordered to scrap her static home after years of fury from nearby residents.

Lillie Goddard was accused of using caravans as add-ons to her drive so she could rent out her £170,000 house for extra cash. 

She had previously used a shipping container as a makeshift extension to the property in Swindon, Wilts., with neighbours fuming the set-up - alongside two caravans - had turned their street into a "traveller camp".

The vilified mum-of-two has long insisted she was doing nothing wrong and told The Sun she is a victim of a “hate campaign"; on her road.

But Swindon County Court has since ruled the static home she and her disabled mum live in on her front lawn must be removed.

Lillie previously told how she had tried to hide her 44sqm static home from view in 2019 - knocking down a two metre fence in order to get it on her lawn.

But she said when she went to rebuild the fence to hide the caravan, the council wouldn’t let her.

Swindon Borough Council told the court the move broke several covenants which set out what can and cannot be done with the land.

Council prosecutor Daryl Bigwood said the property cannot be used to cause annoyance to the council or neighbours, while no structure is to be erected without council permission.

He also said no caravan should be parked on the property, except in a position approved by the council.

Mr Bigwood said Lillie and her husband Mark, whose full names are Lord and Lady Goddard after Lillie bought the titles several years ago, breached all three rules.

The court heard the static home "affected the amenity of the area", with residents asked to move their cars to make way for it and that the council has "been put to some expense".

The couple must now remove their caravan by August 5, or the council will take it away.

Lillie, or Lady Goddard, represented herself via video link and claimed the covenants did not apply to her.

RULES BROKEN

She said as the council sold the house in 1997 to another buyer, and she was not aware they existed, they did not apply.

But deciding on the case, District Judge Peter Hatvany said it was "clear" the covenants did apply, and found they were breached.

He said: "She has made attempts as to where it can be moved. She simply doesn't know how she can comply.

"She has very limited finances and is worried about that."

Lillie will now have to meet the council's costs of £5,000.

Speaking at home, Mark said his wife - with whom he is separated - lives in the caravan with her disabled mum - but she is "making arrangements" to have it moved following the court's decision.

My wife has misinterpreted the law. It could have been dealt with a lot differently.

Mark Goddard

"I've not done anything wrong myself, not personally", he said.

"The problem is, [my wife] has misinterpreted the law. It could have been dealt with a lot differently.

"She offered to put a fence up there, it would have been fenced off and you wouldn't see anything - but the council wouldn't allow it.

"I know Lillie's not perfect, but it could have been resolved completely differently had people come up to her and spoken to her normally."

Lord Goddard said Lillie's mum will be moved to another of their properties in Swindon once the caravan has gone.

And the coach driver claims the only "nightmare neighbour" in his street is the woman who continuously reports everything he and his wife get up to.

Councillor Gary Sumner, the cabinet member for strategic infrastructure, transport and planning, said: "I am really pleased the court supported our application for an injunction as the caravan, and container before it, had been causing real issues for local residents.

"This has been a long, drawn out process which has been going on for many years and it is a shame we have had to go down the legal route to have the caravan removed.

";I look forward to seeing it finally taken away so residents can begin to put this whole episode behind them."