‘This is Derbyshire, not North Korea’: Son put ‘under surveillance’ by council which dumped huge ‘Lego’ blocks outside elderly mother’s home after garden gate legal fight
Helene Ball, 81, has won a three-year legal battle with Derbyshire County Council over access to her garden gate, which the authority blocked in 2023 despite her family using the route for nearly six decades. Newly released emails have revealed that during the dispute, council staff monitored her son David Ball's visits to the record office, noting when he arrived and what information he requested, whilst being instructed not to cooperate with his research.
The Reform UK-led council placed 54 giant Lego-style concrete blocks outside Mrs Ball's home in Matlock weeks after losing the court case. A judge ruled that Mrs Ball had prescriptive rights to access the route and ordered the council to pay her legal costs of around £50,000. Internal communications from Allen Shepherd, the council's head of estates, show he instructed staff to withhold information from Mr Ball because it could "undermine the council's case" – details that emerged through a formal data subject access request.
- Elderly woman wins three-year legal fight with council over garden gate access
- Council placed 54 blocks outside home and monitored her son's research visits
- Judge awarded her £50,000 in legal costs and guaranteed her access rights
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Helene Ball is an elderly resident of Matlock, Derbyshire who had used a route through a narrow passage to access her garden gate for nearly 60 years. In 2023, the local council blocked this access, leading to a three-year legal dispute between Mrs Ball and the authority.
A judge eventually ruled in Mrs Ball's favour, establishing she had the legal right to use the route and ordering the council to pay her legal costs of around £50,000. Weeks after losing the case, the council placed 54 large concrete blocks outside her home.
During the legal dispute, council staff monitored her son David's visits to the local record office, keeping records of when he attended and what information he sought. The council's head of estates had instructed staff not to cooperate with his research, arguing it could undermine their legal position.