A WORDSLEY woman is having a real ‘sett-to’ with Dudley Council after claiming she has had to ‘badger’ them for two years over nuisance animals ruining her garden.

Rae Boxley, of Tack Farm Road, has been left with two-metre deep trenches in her back garden by badgers and she says the lawn is too dangerous to walk on.

The council recently sent an ecologist to Rae’s house to assess the damage but she says she has had to wait far too long for action to be taken.

Rae, who is disabled and suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) said: “I haven’t been able to step into my garden since 2016 as it is too dangerous.

“It is having a massive effect on my mental and physical health, it’s just breaking me. I don’t even have the blind up in the kitchen now as it’s upsetting me too much.

“It’s my responsibility to keep my garden tidy which it was – but it’s the council’s responsibility to repair a huge problem that makes me feel like a prisoner each day.

“This is the third year now that I’ve had to sit in my living room and look out at my garden rather than enjoying it.

“The survey should have been done two years ago. It’s not good enough.”

Rae’s property is an adapted bungalow and she is worried about the repair costs if the council will not foot the bill.

She added: “I can’t see them paying for it although they spent £110,000 on the football pitch at Dell Stadium when there were badgers there.”

Cllr Laura Taylor, Dudley Council cabinet member for housing, said: “We are aware of issues at the property and have met with the tenant to discuss these.

“As a result we recently organised for an ecological survey to be carried out.

“We are waiting for the report of that survey to come through and then we’ll be able to have an informed discussion with the tenant around what options are available to rectify any issues identified.”