A WEST Kingsdown widower’s life has been "consumed" with worry over five metre high earthworks built by neighbours at the bottom of his garden.

Maurice Frankling has lived at Ridgewood in Botsom Lane since 1956 and used to enjoy time spent with his eight grandchildren in the garden of his bungalow.

But the 82-year-old no longer has the heart to maintain it since neighbours moved in three years ago and landscaped their garden to make it flat.

The result is a towering wall of steel and wood to hold back the earth which according to Mr Frankling’s son Nicholas, 52, blocks out light from his dad's sitting room and is a major eyesore.

He told News Shopper: "It’s driving my father mad. It’s consumed his life for the last three years.

"He’s frightened that the earth might slide and go into his garden. He’s suffering from anxiety and depression, it’s not fair.

"He won’t even go in the garden now and it’s all getting overgrown which is such a shame."

Mr Frankling senior is a retired graphic designer who has been living alone for 17 years and Nicholas says he and his two sisters have noticed a real change in their father.

He said: "It’s upsetting for us. I’ve got two sisters and they have noticed the change in him over the last few years. The neighbour has got a beautiful garden and on the other side my father is suffering.

"He used to keep the garden all lovely and now he’s let it go and he’s not himself anymore. He’s very withdrawn and I don’t want the stress of this to be his last experience on earth.

News Shopper:

The five metre high wall of steel and wood. 

"That is not how it should be in your later years."

The owners of The Rookery next door have had two retrospective planning applications turned down and Sevenoaks District Council is currently considering a third.

A spokesman said: "Another application was lodged in March 2013 which is substantially different from the earlier applications.

"It attempts to address the previous reasons for refusal by reducing the fence heights, softening the appearance of the development by using trellising and removing some of the steel retaining structure and earthworks.

"This application is currently under consideration and we expect to reach a decision in the coming weeks.

"We issued a planning enforcement notice against the works giving the landowner six months to rectify the situation from August 2012.

"However, this enforcement notice has been suspended as national planning legislation encourages councils to consider outstanding planning applications that could resolve the problems before taking action."