Love thy neighbour? Some neighbours are worse than Satan

THEY say you should love your neighbour but millions of Britons are

locked in bitter disputes with the people next door, a study has

found.

Arguments over land boundaries and noise are the worst culprits when

it comes to falling out with the neighbours.

One in four has had a bust-up with someone living next door with other

grounds for complaint being loud music, car parking and pets.

Rows have also flared over bonfires, anti-social behaviour and building work.

Worryingly, when they are not arguing, half of UK adults barely know

those next door, with three in 10 admitting they would not recognise

their neighbours if they bumped into them away from home.

And four in 10 deliberately avoid their bad neighbours. We have a huge

loneliness epidemic in this country.

The research of 2,000 UK adults was commissioned by housebuilder,

Churchill Retirement Living.

Dame Esther Rantzen DBE, an ambassador for Churchill, said: “We have a

huge loneliness epidemic in this country.

“And looking out for those next door to us can be a big step towards

curing it - especially if they are older people who might be feeling

isolated or not as active as they used to be.

“I have personally witnessed the benefits a strong sense of community

can bring, and we can all do something to make that difference to the

people who live around us.”

The study also found the average Briton knows six of their neighbours

by name - although this falls to just four among those aged 34 and

under.

A fifth say they have been concerned for their neighbours at some

point, with health problems, age and loneliness the most common

worries.

And half think there is a no sense of community in their neighbourhood.

Yet less than a third of people would ever consider inviting their

neighbours around for a meal or social gathering.