Laurieston resident furious over damage caused and danger posed by council contractors

The first Derek Barker knew about the work being carried out in the re-purchased council house next door to his home in Ramsay Avenue, Laurieston, was when he received a CCTV alert someone had climbed over his fence to enter his garden on November 3.

He said: "They were putting in a new roof and doing rough casting, but no one told me anything about it. Our fence is damaged now – it’s leaning to the side and our garden box has also been damaged.”

Mr Barker, who has lived at his property for over 30 years, said his wife was almost hit by a falling roof tile which shattered on the ground – giving her a fright and left sharp shards which their dogs could have stood on.

When the rough casting started it was Mr Barker’s windows that bore the brunt.

He said: “I had to get them to stop working, telling them they had scratched my windows. They put up some blue plastic sheeting to protect them but by then the damage had already been done.”

The scaffolding has now been in place for over five weeks.

"The work’s finished,” said Mr Barker. “But the scaffolding is still up.”

Falkirk Council confirmed they are now aware of the issues and will be working to rectify the situation.

A spokesperson said: “We met with Mrs Barker today to discuss the issues raised in relation to work being carried out at the property next door. We have apologised for the lack of notification prior to work getting underway and have explained work will be completed tomorrow.

"The scaffolding will be removed next week and the fence will be reinstated. Their front and back gardens will be tidied up tomorrow and windows will be cleaned.

“A further visit will be carried out next week to ensure that all issues have been addressed to Mrs Barker’s satisfaction.”