A retired Watford couple say their garden has been ruined by contractors working on behalf of a neighbouring housing estate.

Richard and Janet Westwood were once greeted by greenery and trees on looking out on their prized garden in The Chase.

But they say it now resembles a building site after contractors chopped back their trees which were said to be overhanging garages and clogging up the gutters on the neighbouring Cassio Metro estate.

Mr Westwood, 66, said: “It has been left looking like a building site. Nothing is growing, they’ve cut everything back and instead of seeing trees we see a landslide of rubbish and litter. It’s awful.

“It’s probably going to be like this for the next five years which is not only an eye sore, but would also make it difficult to sell if we wanted to move.

Contractors spoke to the Westwoods on September 29 and explained what worked needed to be carried out.

The couple said told the worker they needed to check it out with Cassio Metro, which had no record but “remembered the order”.

The next day, the contractors returned to start the work which the Westwoods “reluctantly agreed to” before the trees were cut back.

When Mr Westwood returned home he thought there had been a landslide and complained to the estate management and councillors.

He said: “We’ve not heard anything since, despite complaining and asking Cassio Metro to clear it up. We’ve had no answer at all.

“All we want them to do is clear the area and plant some shrubs.”

The Observer contacted Cassio Metro’s property management Hazelvine for comment.

The firm responded with a letter it claimed was sent to the Westwoods in November by their contractor explaining the work.

It states the Ash and Sycamore trees in the Westwoods garden was overhanging a mechanics garage and clogging up drains.

The contractor explained he only cut back the necessary branches, which exposed some building materials, but he did not remove any shrubs, cleared the waste and even mowed the couple’s lawn.

The letter adds: “As everything was cut back, it will begin to re-grow next spring covering some of the fenced area. In fact the laurels will now grow from the bottom giving better cover.”