A MAN who wants his garden to be a memorial to his deceased partner has been told he must rip it up.

Clive Elliott, 64, who is living in a Sovereign House-managed property in Lombard Court, Toothill, created the gravel-topped garden in front of his house earlier this year, with the help of his partner.

But now he has been told he must turn it back to grass, or pay the costs of contractors brought in to do the work.

He insists that it is just stubbornness on behalf the housing association, who will not take into account his wish to maintain the area as a memorial to his partner, who has recently died.

Clive said: “A few months back I did up my garden, when it was still grass.

“The groundsmen that the housing association had coming around put weed killer down by the window and killed my plants and my lawn, so I thought 'I’ll do it myself'.

“Also, as it’s down by my window it used to get very damp and boggy, and there were woodlice coming in under the front door. They were just in the hallway, and I was picking them up by the dozen.

“So me and my partner, we dug it up and put rocks in, and it looks lovely.

“I’ve had a lot of compliments about it.”

However, Clive was informed by the estate’s management that the area was communal, and told he would have to return it to being the green space it was previously.

He said: “The housing officer came around and said you’ve got to put it back to grass, because it’s communal.

“I said I wouldn’t do it, but she said she’d get contractors in, turn it back to grass and charge me for it.

“Before my partner passed away, we put that stone in the garden, because she wanted it. What I said to the housing officer is that I wanted to leave it as a memorial.

“But she’s so stubborn.”

A spokesman for Sovereign Housing said: “The gardens at the front of all of the homes in Lombard Court are communal areas, which we take care of and maintain for our residents.

“It’s part of the tenancy that they remain a grassed lawn so unfortunately, while we do understand Mr Elliott’s reasons, we have asked him to return the area back to its previous condition.

“We’re in touch with Mr Elliott and will continue to talk to him about his concerns.”