Scaffolding is up for 18 days for two hours' work...

A FATHER says his three children - all aged under nine - have been forced to stay indoors for almost half their school holidays after his garden was filled with scaffolding - to enable workmen to carry out work on someone else's house.

Mark Pearman said the situation - in which the back of his Kidderminster house was covered in scaffolding to enable workmen to repair a leak in the roof of a neighbouring property - had gone "beyond a joke".

He explained his children, Jarrad, six, Keelan, seven, and Callum, nine, had been unable to play outside because it was not safe.

"There are sharp bolts and a bar is going directly across the back door so the kids haven't been able to play in the garden," he said.

A network of metal rods have been covering the rear of his Community Housing Group home in Dunlin Drive.

Mr Pearman said on Tuesday: "I wouldn't have contacted the Shuttle/Times & News but I think this has gone beyond a joke.

"It only took them two hours to do the work they needed to do but the scaffolding has been up 18 days so far ... the work wasn't to do with my house anyway."

The 38-year-old, whose children returned to Spennells First and Comberton Middle schools this week, added: "Although we have had days out there are times when you can't go out and the kids couldn't even go in the garden because of the safety issue.

"They've been off for six weeks and for two-and-a-half of those there has been scaffolding in the garden."

Fiona Law, of the Community Housing Group, said: "Mr Pearman kindly allowed us access to his garden to erect scaffolding for a roof repair on his neighbour's property on August 19.

"The work was completed at the end of August and our scaffolding contractors tried to get access to the garden on August 31 to remove it."

She added: "There appears to be a misunderstanding about access - our contractors stated that the gate was padlocked closed - verified by Mr Pearman's neighbour - but Mr Pearman is adamant the gate was left open.

"We have spoken to Mr Pearman today and have established that access will be available at all times. Our contractors will be returning to collect the scaffolding as soon as possible.

"We have expressed our apology to Mr Pearman and his family for any inconvenience experienced."