A PENSIONER whose life has been plagued by a problematic tree has been told by council officials that the only help they will give is to install a plastic owl if he buys one.

Sydney Hodgson has been waging war against a tree that stands close to the boundary of his bungalow for years, saying it has caused a multitude of issues for him and his wife, 78-year-old Margaret, who now lives in a home.

Mr Hodgson says being wheelchair bound means it is impossible for him to clear the 2ft piles of leaves as “big as dinner plates” that are littering his garden.

He says the leaves cause him difficulty when manoeuvring his wheelchair around the property and have created a hazard, with his wife having suffered a head injury after slipping when trying to clear them herself.

Mr Hodgson has had to pay hundreds of pounds to clear the debris and even bought a leaf blower in an attempt to sort the issue.

The 81-year-old also claims roots from the tree have cracked the wall around the bungalow and damaged pipes providing water to his property, causing bills to rocket.

The bungalow’s roof is consistently covered in debris and Mr Hodgson claims he has to pay regularly for his car to be cleaned due to the large amount of droppings falling onto it from birds nesting in the tree.

Mr Hodgson says he wishes he had never set eyes on the bungalow and claims council staff have failed to help, despite repeated complaints.

Mr Hodgson said: “The tree is up to the council to control yet I have just paid £230 to have the leaves moved from around the house and they’re back again, you’ve never seen anything like it.

“A specialist told me it was the roots from the tree that have cracked the wall we had built and the water board said its roots had gone straight through their pipes.

“My car’s covered in bird mess, I can’t afford to keep going to the car wash and I’m unable to wash it myself.

“I’m unable to stand or walk so it is difficult for me to sort any of this – I don’t want the tree taking down, just cutting back.”

Today, a spokeswoman for the council pointed out the benefits of having trees in the community and said pruning the tree could accelerate leaf growth.

She added: “If birds are nesting in the tree, should he wish to provide a plastic owl, we will be happy to put it up to deter them.”