A WOMAN claims that her neighbours' "obsessive planting scheme" has left her back garden with no sunlight and a partially toppled fence.

Sabita Chanda, who shares a common border with neighbours Chris and Gloria Chapman, said her problems began four or five years ago.

She said newly planted greenery began pushing through the existing trees, preventing natural light and air passing through into her back garden.

Miss Chanda, who does not have any trees in her back garden, said as a result of this new greenery her fence had started to topple, and uncut branches left her with rotting leaves, and rotting fruit.

"Once a year I contact Mr Chapman by telephone reminding him that the towering branches and the vegetation need cutting back," said Miss Chanda, who has lived in her Worcester property for 25 years.

"He performs the 'absolute minimum' to cut back his trees. This year the chopped off branches made no difference except to make space for the leylandii to grow unrestrained."

Miss Chanda, who lives in Baveney Road, off Hallow Road, said she only had a small patio for her garden, which runs from the side to the back of her house, and felt the mass of vegetation was "intolerable" and "menacing".

"Trees of height between three and five- storey buildings shut out the sunlight," she said.

"I have rheumatism now and this year I have had to pay someone to pick up the leaves. The pivot is damaging my fence and my back patio looks a hideous mess."

Neighbour Gloria Chapman said she had not been able to garden for the past 10 years, since receiving a spinal injury in a car accident.

"My husband Chris has to do the gardening now," she said. "He cuts the hedges for Sabita once or twice a year."

Mrs Chapman, who lives at The Meadows, Hallow Road, said various family problems had forced Mr Chapman to travel to Cardiff at weekends, leaving him with little spare time.

"He's cut down more trees than he's planted," she said. "With my spinal injections I could do without this."

Miss Chanda has been in contact with Mike Foster, MP for Worcester, about her predicament, but he said nothing could be done until high hedges legislation came into force.