Amazing moment raging businessman destroys bed of wildflowers planted by villagers outside his house – as ‘terrorised’ locals say he now ‘haunts their sleep’
An angry businessman destroyed a field of wildflowers while his green-fingered neighbours had set up a communal planter in front of his house.
Video footage shows Mike Hodgson, 54, a wind turbine company director, pulling out the colourful herbs and flowers less than 24 hours after volunteers carefully planted the raised bed.
Mr Hodgson and his partner, who are accused of ‘terrorising’ locals through anti-social behaviour, are alleged to have used ‘power tools and crowbars’ to destroy the flower bed next to his luxury home.
Villagers then staged a sit-in to protect the flower bed during the territorial struggle in the heart of the rural village.
Mr Hodgson and his partner Shirin Poostchi, 55, were filmed climbing to the ground and pulling out the planted plants.
Video footage shows Mike Hodgson, 54, director of a wind turbine company, pulling out the colourful herbs and flowers less than 24 hours after the raised bed was planted.
Villagers staged a sit-in to protect the bed, but Mr Hodgson simply climbed over it
The bed was planted in preparation for Britain in Bloom and in partnership with the village’s Conservation Group and the Community Council Biodiversity Project
Locals say there has been an ongoing scheduling dispute with the wind turbine company’s boss, Mr Hodgson, since he moved to the rural village of Gwaenysgor in North Wales about 10 years ago.
Neighbour Andy Clarke, 58, said: ‘We’ve put a herb box next to their house. It’s not on their land, it’s next to it.
‘Members of the public were made to sit on the bed to prevent them from destroying it. Police were called but no one was warned or arrested.’
Mr Clarke, a creative director at a design agency, said the flowers had been planted with the support of the local council in what he described as a “sleepy, rural village, where the average age of residents is over 60”.
He said: ‘We planted this to brighten things up and as part of the village’s preparation for Britain in Bloom and in partnership with the village’s Conservation Group and the Community Council Biodiversity Project.
“We hoped it would last a long time, but it lasted less than a day.”
Mr Clarke said villagers had previously contacted their local Conservative Senedd member Mark Isherwood and the police about alleged ‘antisocial behaviour problems’ with Mr Hodgson, but to no avail.
Mr Hodgson said he did not want to comment on the dispute, saying: ‘Frankly, this is not something we want to be involved in.’
Ms Poostchi added: ‘We’re just trying to get on with our working day.’
North Wales Police have been approached for comment.