A woman is angry after ‘strangers ate for a picnic in her garden and won’t leave after taking up space outside the kitchen window’

A woman was furious after a couple sat down to eat on a picnic in her garden – and refused to leave.

The distraught homeowner tells of her anger after strangers break into dinner outside her kitchen window.

Writing on parenting forum Mumsnet, the woman said it wasn’t the first time the strange incident had occurred.

She explained how a «popular footpath» runs through her property and people often think her garden is fair game for a picnic—even though the land around the footpath is privately owned by her family.

In a post, she said: «I told them it’s private property and not part of the sidewalk. Looks like they’ll be arriving soon.

“I am now done with saying anything else but I am strongly negative in the watering baskets hanging about 5 meters away from them and they are not making eye contact with me on purpose.

“We have a popular footpath next to the house and I think people assume our garden is some kind of public park because of the footpath.

«This isn’t the first time this has happened (I joke regularly about putting some picnic seats on and charging them) but it’s the first time they haven’t moved when asked…

«It’s weird, when people do that, they’re always sitting roughly in the same place, in a direct line of sight to the kitchen window.»

She added: «My theory is that it’s the first bit of proper shade on the footpath for a few miles. But it’s not even sunny today.»

«Or maybe people just think because it’s a farm they can sit where they like even if it’s in front of my gooseberry patch.»

Take out your hose

The forum post attracted hundreds of responses, with people providing helpful tips to keep garden hackers away in the future.

One said, «I think a private property sign on the sidewalk side of the cattle net would help if you weren’t there already.»

Another shared her frustration, writing: «We used to get this frequently when I was growing up and living on a very popular road.

«My brother and I started serving cream tea, so if they wanted to sit down it cost them!»

A third said, «Say you’ll call the police if they don’t move. Take a picture or video of them. Go in, close the door, and call the police.»

Another user joked, «Put out your hose and start watering it.»

The angry woman said that as soon as the couple finished their outing, they got up and continued walking.

Now they’re gone. Get up and go on. I don’t know, I think it’s clearly private property… Unless you think all the grass next to the footpath is fair play?’ The woman told the forum.

‘To get here, they must have walked through at least two miles of open falls. Then exited off the main walking path, through the farm gate and the cattle net which has a special ‘No vehicle entry’ sign on it (but also a public driveway arrow indicating beyond the house).

“Outside the house just in front, there is a steep grass bank with a low wall at the bottom of it with some flowers growing in it, and a plant plot and gates into the fields at the top where it is flattened. The piece of the bank is very steep.”