A row has erupted between Edinburgh neighbours after a couple built a new fence in the middle of their garden.
Lorraine Smith, who is heavily pregnant, says the obstruction means she cannot get her buggy into the back green and it blocks off access for her elderly grandparents.
The mum-to-be, who regularly stays at her grandparents home in Oxgangs as well as caring for them, says the fence has left her without access to their back garden and gate - as well as making it difficult for her grandparents to use the steps.
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The 32-year-old, who is eight months pregnant with her first child, said her grandparents stumped up half the cash but have been left in tears after the fence was built.
After multiple attempts to confront the neighbours over the newly-built fence, Lorraine says her complaints have fallen on deaf ears and her grandparents have been told to "deal with it."
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, the parttime hairdresser said: "The neighbours haven't even been living here for a year but my nana, who is 78, has lived there since she was 15.
"As it's an old coal mine house, the back garden is communal and so are the steps at the back of the property. When they moved in last August they were told that is was a communal garden and was split in half so anything that they wanted to build had to be put in a letter to my grandparents.
"Last Thursday, February 23, I came to the house and saw the joiner building the fence. When the neighbours were planning on building it, they told my grandparents but did not say that it would take up one metre of their land.
"They said they wanted their own privacy and couldn't understand why it was a communal area anyway. My grandparents said that was fine, but now their access has been completely restricted.
"When the joiner was building it, I went and knocked on their door but funnily enough nobody was in. Later that night, I knocked again and they told me I was just looking for an argument and that the fence was built so I'd have to deal with it."
Lorraine has taken images of the narrow passage between the back door and steps, saying it is not wide enough for a pram or for her granddad to get out, who regularly takes their dog to the park.
Edinburgh Live understands that if the council are content with the fence being a permitted development then it would not have required planning permission and they can not get involved in the matter.
Lorraine continued: "They have literally taken up half of the steps with the fence and built their own, which makes no sense. They also charged my grandparents £600 for the fence.
"I'm getting advice from a lawyer and they are drafting up a letter to inform the family that the fence has to be moved further towards their porch or taken down.
"My nana is in tears due to the whole situation and it's so sickening as they have lived her their whole lives. I have tried to speak with the neighbours again but they basically slammed the door in my face.
"They asked why I would need access with a pram to the garden but that's nothing to do with them and it saves me walking all the way around to get access to the park."
A spokesperson for the City of Edinburgh Council said: "We are aware of this incident and are looking into it."
One of the neighbours next door to Lorraine's grandparents declined to comment after being approached by Edinburgh Live.
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