A mother is furious that a neighbour is building on public land and that she is being "stonewalled" by the council.

Pandora Melly, 56, has contacted Three Rivers District Council five times to complain but is still waiting for a response.

She claims that her new neighbour is building on 71ft of public land and damaging a protected oak tree in Ashburnham Drive, South Oxhey.

She said: “The most important thing here is how the council has dealt with this, it’s pathetic.

“This is our village and our land and I am just being stonewalled by the council. I don’t know what they think they are up to; they are a bunch of lily-livered so and sos.

“Everybody in the road is angry and chattering like chickens about it. We want to know what agreement the council has come to.”

Three Rivers District Council said it is investigating the matter.