Golf balls stop play in garden

A Black Country mother says that she is terrified to let her daughter play in their garden in case she is hit by golf balls from a neighbouring course.

Joanne Thornton-Cartwright, of Rowley Regis, says that when she bought her home next to the course in August developers Bellway Homes said golf nets would be erected to prevent balls from Rowley Regis Golf Club landing in their garden. She says despite numerous phone calls, letters and emails to developers work has yet to be done.

Mrs Thornton-Cartwright said she is frightened to let 10-year-old daughter Brooke play in the garden of their Portway Road home.

She said husband Andy's car and the PVC frame of a house window have already been hit by balls.

She said: "If someone gets hit by the golf balls they could be killed, they come over at such a speed."

"Also I don't know who would pay for it if one of the windows were smashed."

She added: "It is particularly frustrating when the weather is nice because we are scared to sit out."

Golf club owner John Broadhurst said: "Since they started building the houses three years ago we warned them it would be a health and safety problem and they said a net or a fence would go up. It is their responsibility as the golf course was there first. I was there when they said they would do it."

He has now decided to erect a subsidiary net and look into planting trees on to protect the houses.

He said: "It will cost me around £7,000, to do it, and it is not my responsibility, it is that of Bellway Homes."

Bellway Homes spokeswoman Julian Kenyon said: "The erection of any specialist fencing between the Bellway development and the golf course was not part of any planning or contractual obligation.