Council chiefs have banned a gardening enthusiast from all its allotments, accusing him of harassing other plot holders.
In a rare move, Jeremy Brereton, 40, has been told he must vacate his plot in Queen’s Road, Bradford, by April 30, and if he enters any Council allotment site after that date he will be considered a trespasser.
A letter from the Council to Mr Brereton states it has received “many complaints” that he had been harassing other tenants “making it impossible for them to have quiet enjoyment of their plots”.
It also accuses him of failing to comply with requests, including removing a storage container and timber from his plot.
He has also been told in the letter that locks had been broken on an occasion when he was the only other person present on the site.
Last night Mr Brereton said he believes the accusations are being made against him because he is trying to set up a new allotment committee.
He said: “I don’t quite understand why they want to ban me from all allotments. I strongly believe the committee on the allotment site is responsible for allegations against me.
“They are accusing me of breaking a lock, it wasn’t my fault. I think they want me to lose my allotment.
“I can’t sleep thinking about it. I have had my allotment for five years and it is the tidiest it has ever been.
“I go every day and I love it there at this time of year, when everything is growing.
“I’m very upset to have received this letter. It doesn’t seem like common sense – it’s a bull in a china shop approach, I don’t know what I’m going to do now.
“A lot of allotment holders are supporting me and one has even said that he would give his up if I lost mine.
“It’s just bizarre, it’s a drop-of- a-hat response.”
A Bradford Council spokesman said: “We are in discussion with this particular tenant about his tenancy agreement but we cannot discuss individual cases.”
The Council was not able to say whether it was the first time an individual had been banned from all of its allotments Queen’s Road Allotment Committee also said it was not able to comment on the case.
e-mail: tanya.orourke @telegraphandargus.co.uk
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