Lowestoft neighbours at war over Pump Alley footpath

But the 200m footpath is now at the centre of an extraordinary dispute between neighbours which has even seen police called in to investigate.

The row broke out after Samantha and Nolan Lincoln put up a gate across the path, which runs through the corner of their driveway at their home at Pakefield Street near Lowestoft.

The retired couple say they did so because of concerns with antisocial behaviour in the alleyway and collisions involving cyclists and dog walkers in the alley spilling into their garden.

Aggro Alley - The 200-metre alley runs from London Road South before veering right to Mr and Mrs Lincoln's house on Pakefield Street (Image: Denise Bradley)

Mrs Lincoln said: "We had an issue of clashing bikes coming in when we left the gates open, people were going berserk because they couldn’t make the right angle turn. 

“We thought well it’s not our problem, we didn’t design the bloomin' footpath. 

"And since the footpath is beside the front of our house, the overspill from conflicts caused by clashing in the alley spilt into our lives.

Mr and Mrs Lincoln pictured by the public footpath which runs through their front garden (Image: Denise Bradley)

"In the wake of the murder of Joy Middleditch [an 82-year-old woman found dead in her home in Pakefield in March], we put the gate up so when people paused the camera would catch their face if something terrible were to happen again.

"Also if our house were to get damaged by users of the alley, we can have the perpetrator's face, especially at night time. Police think it is a brilliant idea. 

“There is a lot of crime in Lowestoft and the gate is hugely important simply for security reasons."

READ MORE: Teens arrested over murder of Joy Middleditch in Pakefield

Frank Robinson (left) and his brother Peter (right) say that it is illegal and wrong of their neighbours for blocking a public footpath (Image: Denise Bradley)

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However, neighbours say that the couple have blocked off a public right of way, which they are not entitled to do.

Frank Robinson, 66, and his brother Peter, 63, live at the top of Pump Alley.

The pair say that having access to the path, which they have used since 1985, taken from them is "grinding them down".

The sign from London Road South towards Pump Alley, which perhaps one day clearly displayed that Pump Alley aka 'aggro alley' is a public footpath... (Image: Denise Bradley)

READ MORE: 'We have had enough': CCTV captures teenagers tormenting neighbourhood

The elder brother said: "I use that cut-through to get to the beach to walk the dog and go to shops safely, avoiding the busy road at the front of my house.

"I have used that cut-through for 40 years.

“We know why they are blocking the land off, they simply are trying to claim it as their own. 

The letter which Mr and Mrs Lincoln put on the gate which people will see before they enter the couple's driveway (Image: Denise Bradley)

“The deeds literally show that.

“The land they are denying public access to simply isn’t registered, it’s not registered land so they cannot claim it."

READ MORE: Daughter 'shaken and distraught' after daylight armed robbery at store

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council, said: “We are currently investigating the obstruction of the public footpath and are seeking advice on what can be done to resolve the issue.”

The acrimony has reached such a level in the neighbourhood, that police have been asked to investigate allegations of harassment as well as criminal damage.

A police spokesperson said that enquiries are ongoing.

The gate is what greets pedestrians once they have walked the length of Pump Alley, from London Road South end, and arrive at Mr and Mrs Lincoln's home (Image: Denise Bradley)

A historic shot of Mr and Mrs Lincoln's home, formerly a Blacksmiths Shop, with the public footpath alleyway pictured in the bottom left of the shot (Image: Denise Bradley)