Elderly woman is fuming as council won't maintain overgrown hedge that's swallowing' her garden

Betty Calloway, 90, moved back into the bungalow where she and her late husband George once lived earlier in their marriage - but said her life has become a ‘nightmare’ because of an overgrown hedge (see video - click to play above).

She paid £260,000 for the two-bedroom property in August and moved in last month - but was shocked to discover a hedge which towers more than 15ft (4.5m) over her garden. Betty claims the bushes are so heavy they are causing her fence to buckle and blocks any light coming through the windows.

The hedge runs the length of her property along an alleyway that backs onto the nearby Brookside estate and belongs to Telford & Wrekin Council.

Betty, who has 10 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, said: “I rang the council in August before I moved in and they said it would be getting sorted. I bought the house in September then moved in last month but it has not been sorted. The garden is in a bit of a state. It was lovely before but it has been neglected, but I can do that, but the hedge is owned by the council and runs along the passageway beside the house. It is well over 15ft high and is just huge. It's literally swallowing the garden.”

Betty and George, who were married for 72 years, lived in the bungalow for three years before moving into assisted living in 2017. After George died in 2022 Betty decided to move back to their former bungalow where they had been at their happiest.

But it’s not quite how she remembers it - because of the unsightly hedge. She added: “It’s blocking the light and falling all over the garden. It has also damaged the fence and made a mess. I'm really concerned and worried about it. I have called the council and they said it was all in hand, but nobody has been out.”

Betty, who used to run a restaurant with George before they retired, said: “The bungalow was lovely and we did a lot of work to it. I particularly loved the garden. It wasn’t huge but I just loved being outside and caring for it.”

A spokesperson for Telford & Wrekin Council said: “Telford and Wrekin has significantly more trees than many other towns and cities, an estimated 15 million trees fall within the council’s care. The council has an annual maintenance programme for hedges and from time to time undertake more focussed work which is currently being arranged at this location. We are grateful that this matter has been bought to our attention.”