Richard Williamson said he awoke ‘with dread each day, wondering if there is yet more mess to clean up’

A man in Caerphilly, Wales, fought a High Court battle in an attempt to ban his neighbour’s cats from fouling his garden.

A British father-of-one fought a High Court battle in an attempt to ban his neighbour’s cats from fouling his garden.

Richard Williamson, 31, said excrement left by two cats owned by next-door neighbour Suzanne Parsons in Bedwas, Caerphilly, had left him “exhausted”.

He said he awoke “with dread each day, wondering if there is yet more cat mess for me to have to clean up”.

A High Court judge has now ordered Caerphilly county borough council to reconsider two previous dismissals of Williamson’s complaints.

Milwyn Jarman KC, sitting in Cardiff, heard the cat mess “had been going on for some months and that various humane methods which he had tried had been unsuccessful”.

The judge said in his ruling: “He also said that he had attempted to engage with his neighbours who owned the cats, but the fouling was continuing”.

‘I’m exhausted from repeatedly clearing up’

Williamson said that he was worried about risks posed by “recurring fouling” to their newborn, “who will soon be playing in our garden”.

In an email to the court, Williamson said: “I understand, but cats have a right to roam. However, they do not have the right to cause a statutory nuisance or pose an environmental health risk.

“I have collected CCTV footage that clearly shows the two cats fouling in my garden on multiple occasions, and I believe this evidence substantiates my claim.

“Furthermore, being able to prove the two cats from the same household are to blame add significant weight to my complaint. The cats are fouling on a weekly basis, and I’m exhausted from repeatedly clearing up after someone else’s pets.

“This issue has severely impacted my mental health and the enjoyment of my property. I wake with dread each day, wondering if there is yet more cat mess for me to have to clean up.

“As a parent of a newborn who will soon be playing in our garden, I am particularly concerned about the health risks associated with cat faeces.”

A ‘right to roam’

Council officials investigated his grievance at the home in the modern white-painted semi-detached property after his protests about 54-year-old Parsons’ cats.

But they said the animals were not governed by the same laws as dogs or livestock and had a “right to roam”.

Judge Jarmin told the council to re-examine the case and investigate whether fouling constitutes a “statutory nuisance”.

“Nothing in this judgment should be taken as expressing a view one way or the other on the outcome of the redetermination,” he wrote.

A Caerphilly county borough council spokesman said the authority was considering the judgment and would take further appropriate action in due course.

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