A man has defended parking his large vehicle in front of his home to protect it from further damage and to stop other cars from 'illegally' driving on the pathway.
Peter Escreet, 39, has revealed that he has now been forced to station his 4x4 in the middle of a pathway in front of his home in Swinesgate, Grantham, and a church, in an attempt to solve a long-running dispute over traffic.
While he says that he does not have an issue with St Wulfram's Church holding functions and events, it is the "constant" stream of cars passing is bothering him, report Lincolnshire Live.
The 39-year-old says that this is resulting in "ongoing damage" to both his home, and the path in front of it.
Opening up about why he has chosen to take such desperate measures, he said: "The house got hit, a car rolled over the step and cracked it, hit the plant pot, hit the post, hit the side of the wall, hit the corner of the walls.
"There's just been ongoing damage to the house and flagstones. I've paid to have three of them repaired and they cost £300 each."
Mr Escreet went on to add that the incident that sparked his decision to park the wide vehicle was when a van driver allegedly lied to him over having not just hit his home - despite there being CCTV evidence to prove it, and scratches on the van.
He went on to add that when he bought the home - back in 2015 - he was informed that there would be no vehicular access for the public, though he was allowed to park out front in order to make deliveries and drop-offs.
He is now defending his decision to leave his vehicle in front of his property, saying that parking on the pathway is not a violation of the Highway Code, but driving on it is.
The Grantham resident said: "We don't park here.
"We have parked here to block people's access because we don't think anybody should be driving up here."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the church said that while it could understand Mr Escreet's frustration and concerns, access to the church was still important.
The spokesman said: "A church has been on this site for over a thousand years and through its long history its points of access have developed with it. St Wulfram's is a living breathing building which at the centre of the community in Grantham offers lots of opportunities for people to come and celebrate our common life together.
"It is important that deliveries, contractors and disabled visitors can get as close to the front door as possible."
However, Mr Escreet is adamant that parking his car there does not hinder people from getting to the church, saying: "I got a tape measure and measured the gap between the car and the wall, and it was fine. I've watched two mobility scooters go side-by-side past the car - there's no problem."
He added: "Even with the Christmas tree parade, they got all the trees in and could get past. Yesterday, with the car there, they got all of them out in a day."
Since the ordeal began, the 39-year-old said he has been on the receiving end of verbal abuse by locals.
Shockingly, one video, which Mr Escreet took from his first-floor window, shows a man shouting and swearing at him through his front door.
He said: "Someone came to the house the other day, quite angry, and I told him that I agreed with him that it should not be used as a pathway and he looked quite blank. You never know who's going to come and kick off at you."
He continued: "I didn't think it would come to this. It's been blown so badly out of proportion.
"It's a footpath - you can't drive on it."
Looking ahead, Mr Escreet said he has offered to pay for an electric bollard, costed at about £3,000, to be installed, saying: "I've said that if we can get the bollard put in, we'll donate a wheelchair to the church. We are trying to be as nice as possible about this."
