An elderly farmer battles a fine for removing a wall he built decades ago, claiming it’s a ridiculous situation
Milborne Port: So, there’s this 89-year-old farmer named Ron Knight who’s really digging in his heels over a fine he got for knocking down part of a wall he built ages ago. Can you believe it? He put that wall up back in 1973, and now, after all these years, the council says it’s “historic” and he needs permission to touch it.
Ron’s been dealing with this mess for seven years now. He just wanted to make it easier to access his land, but instead, he’s been dragged into court and even faced the threat of jail time. He’s so fed up that he said he’d rather go to prison than pay the nearly £3,000 fine. Talk about stubborn!
His wife, Jean, is really worried. She’s 81 and can’t handle the stress of all this. Ron thinks the whole situation is just silly. He’s received letters saying bailiffs might come to take his stuff if he doesn’t pay up. Can you imagine that? It’s like something out of a bad movie.
Ron did agree to let them take £5 a month from his pension, but then they changed their minds and told him he had to go to the post office to pay. At his age, that’s just not happening. He’s been to court so many times he’s lost track, and he’s just tired of it all.
Last year, a judge even told him he could face 45 days in jail unless he rebuilt the wall. But Ron’s not budging. He’s convinced he hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s been living in Devon since he sold the farm, but this whole ordeal has been a real headache for him and Jean.
They’ve had issues with neighbors blocking access to his land, which is why he took down part of the wall in the first place. Now, the council is saying he’s harmed a protected structure, but Ron just wants to maintain his property without all this hassle.
Jean’s been feeling the pressure too. She’s worried about bailiffs coming to their home and taking their belongings. Ron’s health isn’t great, and this whole situation is just adding to their stress. They’ve always paid their dues, and now they feel like they’re being treated unfairly.
Ron’s daughter, Linda, is also frustrated. She says the council never cared about the wall until now. It’s like they’re picking on him for something that was fine for decades. She’s worried about her dad’s health and how this is affecting him and her mom.
Somerset Council insists they’re doing this for the public good, claiming Ron’s actions have harmed a local heritage site. But for Ron and his family, it feels like a never-ending nightmare. They just want to live their lives without this cloud hanging over them.
