For Stan and Sharon Wainwright, their garden is their pride and joy.

The retired couple, aged 71 and 67, have ploughed £200,000 into it, with its centrepiece an impressive water feature with two large fountains.

Now, however, they have dried up and are filling with algae after a Morrisons delivery van bumped into a nearby wall, putting them out of action.

This seemingly minor accident has left the couple embroiled in an extraordinary three-month legal wrangle with the supermarket over the repair bill.

They say the damage will cost £25,000 to put right - more than 30 times the amount the company has offered in compensation.

The incident happened on January 11, when the couple had a regular grocery delivery to their home in Wramplingham, near Hethersett.

As the driver headed off down their driveway, he clipped a brick pillar.

Eastern Daily Press: The Wainwright's garden and fountain and damage caused in the accidentThe Wainwright's garden and fountain and damage caused in the accident (Image: Newsquest/Sonya Duncan)

Mr Wainwright, a former demonstrator for TV shopping channels, said the pillar had been damaged beyond repair and that the accident had also wrecked electric boxes, leaving live and dangerous cables, and disconnecting power to the fountains. 

“The result of the electric being disconnected for so long is that the water is stagnant and green algae is now starting to spread," he said.

Damage and permanent staining from the algae to the stonework meant the fountains might now have to be replaced at the cost of £18,000.

“We informed Morrisons' insurance company that a tradesman had quoted £290 to clean the fountains but it was not guaranteed the stains would be removed,” he said.

Eastern Daily Press: CCTV image of the Morrisons delivery van as it damaged a pillar and electrical boxesCCTV image of the Morrisons delivery van as it damaged a pillar and electrical boxes (Image: Stan Wainwright)

“The longer the delay to addressing the problem, the increased likelihood that the complete units will require replacement.”

Mr Wainwright said the couple had only become aware of the damage the day after they had a grocery delivery. 

“We noticed the damage the next morning and the incident had recorded on our CCTV system,” he said.

“The driver did not report the damage to us, we had to play the CCTV to discover how it was done.”

It has prompted the couple to launch a fight for compensation that started with Mr Wainwright visiting their nearest Morrisons store in Wymondham and escalated to sending recorded letters to the supermarket’s eight top executives. 

Eastern Daily Press: Stan and Sharon Wainwright beside one of the fountains they say have been badly damaged by the accidentStan and Sharon Wainwright beside one of the fountains they say have been badly damaged by the accident (Image: Newsquest/Sonya Duncan)

He said: “I have tried everything to get some cooperation from Morrisons and their insurance company and they are just not interested. 

“Morrisons caused the damage to our property and they are not interested in resolving the situation.”

The couple were eventually told by the supermarket’s insurance company they were “not liable for any damage to the fountains”. 

“This is not right as if the electricity had not been damaged by the Morrisons delivery vehicle our fountains would have been working and no damage would have been caused,” he said.

Eastern Daily Press: Staining to the fountain caused by green algae due to the loss of power supplyStaining to the fountain caused by green algae due to the loss of power supply (Image: Stan Wainwright)

“If they had arranged for the work to be done quickly the electrics could have been repaired and it all could have been completed before any damage was caused to the fountains.”

The couple estimates the total cost of repairs will be £25,000 but said the supermarket had offered just £746 to “bodge repair” the brick pillar and electrics.

Eastern Daily Press: The accident damage electrical boxes and cable cutting power to the fountainsThe accident damage electrical boxes and cable cutting power to the fountains (Image: Sonya Duncan)

Morrisons confirmed it had made a three figure offer as compensation for the accident.

Eastern Daily Press: Mr and Mrs Wainwright says they have been offered less than £1,000 in compensation but estimate repairs may cost £25,000Mr and Mrs Wainwright says they have been offered less than £1,000 in compensation but estimate repairs may cost £25,000 (Image: Sonya Duncan)

A spokesperson for the supermarket chain said: “Our insurers have thoroughly investigated this claim and loss adjusters have attended the property in order to assess the damage.

“We are only liable to repair the actual damage and have settled on an amount that does that."