My neighbours HATE haunted house full of ‘dead bodies’ on my front garden – they say kids are terrified but I don’t care
A MAN says a few neighbours hate the haunted house full of “dead bodies” in his front garden – but he doesn’t care, “it’s for a good cause”.
Rob Amey began the beloved Halloween attraction in 2017, with just a few fake cemetery headstones at his Sittingbourne house, in Kent.
The dad-of-three started out with a simple set-up to raise some cash for an Autism charity and managed to collect nearly £500.
To boost funds, the 51-year-old decided to hand-craft an intricate haunted house the following year.
He starts it it August, he works so hard, we get loads of people around but it doesn’t bother me. It all goes to charity
Clare
In total the family has raised some £5,500 for The Autism Apprentice CIC so far.
Rob has enlisted the help of his alarm and electronics business – Amey Security Systems – for the mammoth build each September.
His trade skills have allowed him to install the house of horrors full with electrics and pressure pad systems to set off various spooky props.
“Every other year we’ve run it we ran it from 5pm until 9pm, Friday, Saturday and Sundays,” Rob told The Sun.
“This year it’s 6pm until 9pm.
“We raised £490 the first time, that was just with some cemetery railings. But the first time we did a big build like this we raised over £2,500.
“I pay to store all this stuff in three garages, I’m renting them all year long, each garage is around £80 a month and then there’s a month off work to build it all.
“This is really the last year we can do it, but we’re going out with a bang.
“I could say what I pay in rent and come to the same amount as we donate.
“I get frustrated, stressed and anxious that it won’t be done in time but I enjoy it.
“You have to reinvent it every year, through imagination, there’s so many films to draw from.
“I thought of this one as I was walking half way through last year’s opening night. I always start scavenging stuff from November.
“This is made of plywood that you paint and construct, it’s basic carpentry skills as long as you can measure and cut straight it’s not that difficult.
“Props wise a lot are imported from America. You have to pay through the nose for import duties though but they do it better.”
Brave visitors who dare to enter are not required to pay any fee, but simply donate what they can.
“It’s just nice to raise money for good causes,” added Rob.
His devoted wife Laura is a health visitor and has chosen several volunteer groups that support people with Autism to help this year.
“Whatever we raise will be split between them,” said the proud husband.
Their 13-year-old son George enjoys taking part in the theatrics of the haunted house and has his routine planned out for this year.
The drama-loving teen will feature as a live actor in the ‘Insane Asylum’.
It is expected to draw in hundreds of locals, as well as keen visitors who all the way from London for the experience.
“We can have a queue that goes down onto the green, everyone is pretty respectful,” said Rob.
“Probably around two per cent of people who come are idiots, usually teenage lads.
“If they’ve been scared they’re embarrassed and might get a bit funny.
“There was one person who walked back into the house through the exit and punched part of the set because he got angry about being jump-scared.”
Meanwhile, “one of the best scares” came when a heavily tattooed man came on his own and let out “the highest pitch scream you’ve ever heard”, recalled Rob.
“And I literally saw him slide down the wall because he’d jumped so high he was so scared,” the dad-of-three added.
“Another woman said she had wet herself a bit.
“One lady came in, gave us the best scream of the night. I was dressed as Freddy Krueger, she came outside and I followed.
“She tried to retreat away but I chased her down the street and her family were all doubled over laughing.”
‘TERRIFIC CAUSE’
Locals living in the street hailed the haunted house and Rob’s work each year.
Neighbour Clare said: “I think it’s brilliant, I send everyone there. I go through with my grandchildren.
“I’ve got friends coming over next Sunday and we will have a few drinks and go round there.
“We usually have a Halloween party and go round there afterwards. It scares me.
“He starts it it August, he works so hard, we get loads of people around but it doesn’t bother me. It all goes to charity.”
Fellow neighbour John agreed: “I think he should be congratulated on it, a lot of hard work goes into that.
My neighbour is the UK’s ‘WORST’ – his front garden is a ‘Frankenstein art installation’ & he sounds air horn all night
By Ryan Merrifield
A FURIOUS son says his late mum’s ‘artivist’ neighbour is a nightmare after leaving a mound of ‘rubbish’ to build up in his garden for years.
John Kirby has been forced to take mum Doreen Moore’s house off the market after struggling to sell it due to the “eyesore” pile.
Doreen – who had Alzheimer’s – had been living in a care home since last year, before her death on October 2.
And John, 62, has been trying to sell her two bedroom home in Dalgety Bay, Fife, in Scotland, in an effort to keep up with her care bills and now cover the small debts that have built up.
He said 86-year-old Doreen, even up to her dying day and despite the memory loss caused by her condition, was asking if the house had sold and if the rubbish had gone.
However, neighbour Denis Carbonaro said the pile-up is actually part of his latest ‘artivist’ campaign which he calls the ‘Dalgety Baycott’.
John says he and his neighbours have complained to Fife Council, as well as Police Scotland, but he claims they’ve been told Carbonaro is not breaching any rules.
However, he believes the artist was warned off by the authorities from sounding an air raid style horn attached to a tree.
John told The Sun: “I don’t know what I can do. I’ve tried going down all the routes I can.”
He now fears all the old wood used to build the sculptures could prove to be a fire hazard.
John said people have been discussing the issue on local Facebook groups, but: “It’s almost like he’s thriving on the publicity.
“Every day the garden just gets worse and worse and worse. I mean, there’s a fridge freezer in the front garden now, and I’ve now heard there’s a banner hanging from his front windows.
“I don’t know what he’s trying to do. I’ve had to take the house off the market because nobody’s going to buy it with that eyesore.”
He said another neighbour was told by an estate agent “there’s absolutely no point you putting your house on the market”.
“They suggested to her to go down the legal route with solicitors,” he added.
“It might be a bit frustrating when people come but I’m prepared to let that happen for a week and fair play to him. It’s for a terrific cause.”
Although he did admit: “The Saturdays it’s very difficult to get in and out of the close, but if you know it’s going to happen you plan for it.”
Meanwhile, Louise next-door said: “We love it, we help out when we can. You get people lining up all long the road.
“It’s for a good cause and we enjoy it.”
But, she also highlighted a few issues with the amount of foot traffic the event attracts.
“It can be a bit annoying because people don’t realise and walk across your garden, or try to park on the grass,” she said.
“But he’s putting out cones to stop that from happening now so that’s good.”
Another local, Barbara, denied there were any parking issues at all.
“We think it’s great, their children have Autism and it raises money for a good cause,” she praised.
“We have plenty of room, there’s a turning point, places to park, there’s never been a problem.”
‘SHOCKED NO ONE HAS BEEN RUN DOWN’
Despite the overall love for Rob and Laura’s spooktacular creation, there were two neighbours who weren’t fans.
The locals, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed their concerns with parking and noise.
One said: “I agree with it in principle and have nothing against the money they are raising but there are so many people and there’s no parking.
“I couldn’t get out one year and if there was an emergency no one would be able to get in.
“My child is also really scared of it every year so she won’t go outside, and it can be pretty noisy.”
Another resident on the street, who is known by everyone for complaining about the haunted house, added: “I don’t like it.
“There’s no where for anyone to park. One year I went out and I couldn’t get back in.
“And it’s dark, there’s little kids running about everywhere, I’m shocked no one has been run down yet.”
Rob and Laura have been fully backed by Swale Borough Council despite the neighbour complaints.
The haunted house is classed as a temporary structure which avoids any complications.
Council officials also advised the couple to shut down the event by a certain time of night – which they always abide by.
Swale Borough Council was contacted for comment.
How to complain about a neighbour to the council
If you have tried and failed to resolve your neighbourly issue by talking to your neighbour you can approach your local council.
Before approaching your council you should always try to compromise with your neighbours.
Consider neighbour mediation before instructing lawyers to try and resolve disputes.
If their behaviour crosses into verbal abuse and intimidation that can be classed as antisocial behaviour.
You can ask the police to get involved when your neighbours are rowdy or inconsiderate, damage your property or dump rubbish.
In this case injunctions can be imposed, fines can be handed out, or courts could make Criminal Behaviour Orders (formerly known as ASBOs).
For extreme cases the nuisance neighbours can be evicted or rehoused.
You need to keep a log of all the incidents so you can accurately report the issue.
In the event of an emergency, such as if your neighbour physically attacks you, always call 999.