Norfolk’s former police and crime commissioner has been accused of taking revenge on neighbours after building an 8ft high wall of hay and straw bales on his estate, blocking their views.

Stephen Bett has become embroiled in the row over parkland meadow in front of his 18th century mansion in west Norfolk.

He created the wall of bales on the spot where 95 leylandii trees had been torn down at night by an unidentified person.

Eastern Daily Press: John Turner and his mother Maxine Turner, at their bungalow next to Thornham Hall, where a wall of straw and hay bales have been erectedJohn Turner and his mother Maxine Turner, at their bungalow next to Thornham Hall, where a wall of straw and hay bales have been erected (Image: East Anglia News Service)

The line of bales placed on top of each other close to his boundary covers the entire 60ft width of the back garden of his neighbour Maxine Turner’s bungalow.

The wall has deprived Mrs Turner, 78, of the view she previously had of the horses on Mr Bett’s land in Thornham, near Hunstanton.

Her son John Turner, 50, who lives with his mother as her carer during the week, has accused Mr Bett of putting up the bales as “an act of spite”.

But Mr Bett, 69, who was Norfolk’s independent PCC between 2012 and 2016, insisted he had only erected them because he did not want to look at his neighbours “barbecuing and putting their washing out”.

He also said Mr Turner was not entitled to a view of his property and had been abusive to his housekeeper. The local council has said he can put the bales where he likes on his estate.

But Mr Turner, a part-time gardener, said: “It looks like he is blaming me for cutting down his leylandii because I am one of the youngest people around here – but I didn’t do it.

“He has only placed the bales outside my mother’s home and not any of the other neighbours’ houses because he wanted to upset us."

Mr Turner said his mother had lived at her three-bedroom bungalow, in a cul de sac called Shepherds Pightle, for 40 years. He said she has multiple sclerosis and that her eyesight is failing due to macular degeneration.

“Looking out on the horses on the meadow was a real pleasure for her," he added. "But now all she can see is this wall made of straw.”

The line of conifers in question were planted around three years ago and grew to a height of about 10ft before 95 of them were hacked down by a mystery vandal on the night of July 2.

Eastern Daily Press: Stephen Bett was Norfolk's police and crime commissioner between 2012 and 2016Stephen Bett was Norfolk's police and crime commissioner between 2012 and 2016 (Image: Archant © 2014)

Mr Bett’s staff responded by building a wall from bales opposite Mrs Turner’s garden, stacked on their ends on top of one another to initially form an 11ft high barrier.

Mr Turner was enraged to see the wall and went round to Mr Bett’s mansion, Thornham Hall, to complain.

He admits that he lost his temper when talking to a 25-year-old housekeeper who was at the house while Mr Bett was on holiday.

Mr Turner said he went back and knocked down the wall by toppling over the top bales, which weighed around 600lbs each.

But Mr Bett has since rebuilt the barrier, using a digger to put the bales on their sides so the structure is slightly lower at around 8ft high and more sturdy, making it almost impossible to knock over.

Mr Turner told how he confronted Mr Bett in the village shop, and demanded to know why he had built the wall.

He said: “I told him that I had not cut his leylandii down and it was nothing to do with me.

“I asked him what he was playing at, and he replied that he was fed up at looking at our washing when he was driving down his drive.

“I questioned why he was suddenly doing it now when he had been using his driveway for years, and he looked like he was going to explode with rage.”

Eastern Daily Press: An aerial view of Maxine Turner bungalow, next to Thornham Hall, where a wall of straw and hay bales have been erectedAn aerial view of Maxine Turner bungalow, next to Thornham Hall, where a wall of straw and hay bales have been erected (Image: East Anglia News Service)

Mr Turner said he had since received a letter from Mr Bett, saying that he was going to replant his trees, and erect a fence with “other more covert security” to protect them.

Mr Turner whose father Frank died two years ago at the age of 89, added: “I just saw red when I saw this pile of bales. It took a lot of effort to push them over.

“The horses came over to open up some of the bales on the ground and eat some of the hay – but now they are back again.

“The police came round after I spoke to Mr Bett’s housekeeper, and they didn’t really want to get involved. They just advised me not to do anything.

“The officer said he thought the whole thing was a bit silly and he did not want it to go any further. The officer asked how it could be reconciled, and I said it could be done if Mr Bett moved the bales.

“The fact is that he is trying to intimidate me out of spite. My mother is absolutely devastated. She can’t believe this is happening.”

North Norfolk District Council has told Mr Turner that Mr Bett is entitled to put his bales where he wanted on his 2,000 acres of land.

Eastern Daily Press: The trees that were damaged on Stephen Bett's land, prior to a wall of hay and straw bales being put upThe trees that were damaged on Stephen Bett's land, prior to a wall of hay and straw bales being put up (Image: East Anglia News Service)

Mr Bett explained that he was in France when the matter escalated and that police were called after Mr Turner had been “extremely abusive” to the housekeeper, who was confused and left in “floods of tears” - with police later warning Mr Turner about his behaviour during the confrontation.

Mr Bett said: “As far as Mr Turner is concerned, he has no right to a view. It’s on our property. He thinks he is entitled to a view, but he is not.

“To be honest, I don’t particularly want to see these people in their gardens, barbecuing and putting their washing out.

“They have cut down their hedges to get a view, but it is not a good view for me. Why should I have to look at what they are doing?

“Their privacy doesn’t seem to interest them, but I prefer privacy, so I put a hedge up, and that’s been cut down.”

A Norfolk police spokesperson confirmed officers had visited after the trees were damaged, concluding: “Following an investigation, all lines of enquiry have been exhausted pending any further information.”