'Nightmare neighbours' ordered to remove eyesore static caravan from outside house

Two "nightmare" neighbours who starred in a Channel 5 documentary have been ordered to remove a caravan from outside their home.

Lillie Goddard and her husband, Mark, have been told by a court to take away the caravan.

Mrs Goddard and her disabled mother were reportedly living in the static home next to her £170,000 property in Swindon, Wiltshire.

She previously had a shipping container in the garden which had sparked complaints and led to her featuring in the Channel 5 documentary, "The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door".

A court has ruled that the static caravan must be removed from their garden.

It heard that Mrs Goddard and her husband now refer to themselves as "Lady and Lord Goddard".

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Her husband said last week that his wife bought the English aristocracy title several years ago.

A judge at Swindon County Court ruled that their “quiet residential area has been inconvenienced” by the caravan.

The couple must now remove the caravan by 5 August, or the council will do so for them.

There was initially not enough room in the garden for the caravan, which arrived in July 2019, before a wall was partially removed to accommodate it.

But Swindon Borough Council claimed that this broke several covenants - legal rules contained within the deeds of a property - which set out what can and cannot be done with the land.

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Council prosecutor Daryl Bigwood told the court that there are three covenants that were breached - which state that the property cannot be used to cause annoyance to the council or neighbours, that no structure is to be erected without the permission of the council and no caravan is to be parked on the property, except in a position approved by the council.

The court heard that the static home “affected the amenity of the area”, residents were asked to move their cars to make way for it and that the council has “been put to some expense”.

Mrs Goddard, who represented herself via video link, claimed the covenants did not apply to her, but District Judge Peter Hatvany dismissed her claims.

He said: “She has made attempts as to where it can be moved. She simply doesn’t know how she can comply.

“She has very limited finances and is worried about that."

Mrs Goddard will have to meet the council’s costs of £5,000.

Her husband said his wife resides in the caravan with her disabled mother - but she is "making arrangements" to have it moved following the court's decision.

He said her disabled mother will move to another of their properties in the Swindon area once the caravan has gone.

Councillor Gary Sumner, from Swindon Borough Council, said: “I am really pleased the court supported our application for an injunction as the caravan, and container before it, had been causing real issues for local residents.

“This has been a long, drawn out process which has been going on for many years and it is a shame we have had to go down the legal route to have the caravan removed. I look forward to seeing it finally taken away so residents can begin to put this whole episode behind them.”