Council tenant who made neighbours' lives a 'misery' evicted after keeping four tonnes of scrap in garden

Mark Peto was accused of using his garden as a scrapyard, storing scrap metal, flammable materials and offensive weapons like axes in it

Ellen Manning
Updated ·2 min read
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Mark Peto was evicted from his council home after using the garden as a scrapyard. (SWNS)
Mark Peto was evicted from his council home after using the garden as a scrapyard. (SWNS)

A council tenant who stored four tonnes of scrap rubbish in his garden, making his neighbours' lives a 'misery' has been evicted after a long-running saga that even saw him jailed for assaulting a council officer.

Mark Peto was accused of using his garden as a scrapyard, storing scrap metal, flammable materials and offensive weapons like axes in it.

He has now been evicted after several years of neighbours enduring the worry of having flammable materials stored against their walls and being unable to sell their homes due to the eyesore.

Peto used his property and garden as a scrap yard for several years, storing flammable materials and offensive weapons. (SWNS)
Peto used his property and garden as a scrap yard for several years, storing flammable materials and offensive weapons. (SWNS)
Peto has now been evicted after Stroud District Council was granted a Possession Order for the property in Dursley, Gloucestershire. (SWNS)
Peto has now been evicted after Stroud District Council was granted a Possession Order for the property in Dursley, Gloucestershire. (SWNS)

In a lengthy saga, Gloucester County Court was granted a civil injunction order in February 2022, requiring Peto to remove items from the property and garden in Dursley, Gloucestershire.

A power of arrest was added to the order in May 2022 and offensive weapons including axes were found at the property and removed by police.

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But after Peto refused to clear it, Stroud District Council removed more than four tonnes of scrap metal from the rear garden and after efforts with the police and fire officers to resolve the matter, applied for possession of the property so he could be evicted.

In June 2022 Peto was jailed after assaulting a council officer, and has now been evicted from the property after Stroud District Council was granted a Possession Order by the local county court.

Peto made his neighbours lives a 'misery'. (SWNS)
Peto made his neighbours lives a 'misery'. (SWNS)

Cllr Mattie Ross, Chair of Stroud District Council Housing Committee, said: "Over a prolonged period, Mark Peto inflicted misery on his neighbours with no thought or concern of his actions on others.

"Whilst we always use eviction as a last resort, the council had no option in this case but to apply to the courts for a warrant.

"This issue was finally resolved for the good of the community thanks to the hard work of all the agencies involved, for which I am very grateful."

Cllr Lucas Schoemaker, Vice Chair, added: "We are committed to providing homes for our communities – we would like to thank the residents who came forward and gave evidence in this case and for the hard work and perseverance by council staff in what was a difficult and complex case."