Abingdon fish pond man in 'trespasser risk row'

[fred]

A man who built a fish pond in his back garden claims he has been told to remove it in case a trespasser falls in.
Kevin Sheehan said his local housing association told him his property must be "safe for everyone" including uninvited guests.


http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-36391611

[Michael Parnham]

Looking at the pond how can anybody fall in, the wall is at least three feet high above ground level???????

[stevewool]

Its all down to the intruder coming over the fence when its dark , so if he falls in and drowns , then the owner of the house will be done,
Whats the saying every Englishman's home is his castle

[SimonH]

2 ways of thinking about this, and so far everyone has taken the side of the poor fish keeper.

Now, don't get me wrong I love Koi carp and keep them myself in an 8000 gallon pond. I know how much they cost and how much the equipment, food and more importantly how much electric it takes to run a pond of this size.

Now, for the other side of the argument..... it's not his house is it It belongs to his local housing association. How would any one think if they decided that the best cause of action when moving to the Philippines was to rent their property out in the UK, only to find that when you came home your tenant had built a effing great big pond in your garden. Did you declare this when you took out your landlords insurance?

As I said, two sides to every story

[fred]

Whats the saying every Englishman's home is his castle

Every castle should have a moat.. If it were me i`d turn that fence into a draw bridge.

[fred]

2 ways of thinking about this, and so far everyone has taken the side of the poor fish keeper.

Now, don't get me wrong I love Koi carp and keep them myself in an 8000 gallon pond. I know how much they cost and how much the equipment, food and more importantly how much electric it takes to run a pond of this size.

Now, for the other side of the argument..... it's not his house is it It belongs to his local housing association. How would any one think if they decided that the best cause of action when moving to the Philippines was to rent their property out in the UK, only to find that when you came home your tenant had built a effing great big pond in your garden. Did you declare this when you took out your landlords insurance?

As I said, two sides to every story

Ive not read the contract but its probably similar to most housing association deals... I take your point but the old guy is probably there for the rest of his life...Just let him have a Koi pond before he kicks the bucket! Its no big deal IMO.. Probably a days work for two men to knock it down and put in Patio slabs..Job done!!
I`m still trying to think of a solution for the health and safety of a potential intruder though..
Piranhas instead of Koi??

[Ako Si Jamie]

He better take all the windows out of his house then, just in case an intruder manages to cut himself while breaking in.

[Arthur Little]

I take your point but the old guy is probably there for the rest of his life...Just let him have a Koi pond before he kicks the bucket!

Hey, ... enough of the old guy! ... he's only 62, and I'm barely a kick in the off ten years older than him.

[fred]

Hey, ... enough of the old guy! ... he's only 62, and I'm barely a kick in the off ten years older than him.

He`s just old Art...
You are very very old!!!
Joke lang!!

[johncar54]

how can anybody fall in, the wall is at least three feet high above ground level

I believe the Gorilla enclose in Cincinnati was 3 feet high too.

[johncar54]

duplicated

[grahamw48]

stupid stupid jobsworths.

There are far more important things needing the attention of such oxygen thieves.

Our country and its creative people have become smothered and emasculated by. all this pc and H&S crap.

Time to cover our rivers and lakes with netting ?

[Trefor]

I believe this is a housing association property, not just a private home. Thus he is renting it. Their rules. Seems fair enough to me, ugly monstrosity.