A BATTLE over leylandii trees led to a costly legal battle between warring neighbours.
Trouble flared in a row over a bush which was said to have grown to become a 20ft tree.
That led to wrangles over whose land the tree grew on, which ended yesterday at Newcastle County Court.
Recorder Roger Hirst granted an injunction against engineer Paul Brough and his wife, Jean, after hearing that, without warning, they had lopped a large tree belonging to next-door neighbours Dr Patricia Smith and her husband, Dr Barry Hutchinson.
They have been banned indefinitely from interfering with the leylandii hedge.
He also made an order for £500 damages after being told Mr Brough had torn down a fence and mesh which provided a boundary between the two homes in Middle Drive, Ponteland, Northumberland, in July last year.
The judge ruled that Mr and Mrs Brough must also pay two-thirds of the claimants' costs
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