A couple have been left unable to use their back garden over fears that their young children will be killed by a flying golf ball.
Rebecca Dixon, 29, and her husband Alex, 32, purchased a new build property from Bellway in Callerton, Newcastle.
They bought the two-bedroom semi-detached house for £134,000 in November 2022 and moved into it in August 2023.
The couple, who are parents to Lily, four, and Alfie, 12 weeks, claim that when they bought the property they were not made aware, by the housebuilder, of how close it would be to Westerhope Golf Club.
They are now unable to use their back garden as golf balls fly into it at speed.
Rebecca said 12 metre netting has been put up behind their home to protect them from golf balls, however they are still coming over.
She said they have complained to both Bellway and Newcastle City Council but that nobody has taken responsibility.
Resident Lynn Stott, 65, said she was not told by Bellway how close it was to the golf course or that netting would be put up
Lynn had recently paid £4,000 to re-design her garden which she says she cannot use due to safety fears
A 12 metre netting has been put up behind their home to protect them from golf balls, however they are still coming over the net
Home developers Bellway have now said it will be organising an inspection from a specialist firm to ensure the netting is working as designed.
Mother-of-two Rebecca said: The golf balls were coming over from day dot. We have had numerous golf balls in my garden. I have nearly been hit by a golf ball and my next door neighbour has had golf balls in her garden.
I have got a four-year-old daughter and a 12-week-old boy. If they got hit by a golf ball they would get killed. Its not just a broken leg, they are going to get seriously hurt.
I cant let me children play in the garden. One day I went to hang my washing out on the line and I heard a massive smack. A golf ball had smacked off my fence and was on my grass. I was heavily pregnant at the time. I rang Bellway spitting feathers.
We cant use our garden - I have to go out to a play park. I have got a degree in childhood studies and I focused on outdoor learning. Im passionate about getting my kids outside and I cant.
How far does it have to go before someone does something? We have got about 17 children living in the street and one of them is going to get hurt.
Weve just been going around in circles because no one is taking responsibility. At what point is somebody going to accept responsibility? Something needs to be done because its not safe!
Rebecca, who works in customer support, said a golf ball has also smashed the window of a car across the street. She said: When we bought the property we werent made aware of how close it was to the golf course.
We were told that we would be far enough away from the golf course but that we would still have the view of the golf course. We got told there would be no properties behind us and we would have a nice private garden.
We never saw the property until the day we exchanged the keys and by that time it was too late.
We moved in in August last year. The netting was not put up until June. For nearly a year we were living with the risk of golf balls coming over - but theyre still coming over. The net is not tall enough.
Resident Lyn Stott paid £200,000 for the two-bedroom semi-detached property
The neighbours claim that golf balls have still been entering their gardens despite the large net
Home developers Bellway have now said it will be organising an inspection from a specialist firm to ensure the netting is working as designed (stock image)
Rebecca said that Alex, who works as a professional golfer, has also complained to Bellway but nothing has been done. She added: Alex has gone to Bellway and theyre not taking him seriously, its ridiculous.
Lynn Stott, 65, purchased the two-bedroom semi-detached property next door to Rebecca and Alex for £200,000 and moved in in July last year. She said she was not told by Bellway how close it was to the golf course or that netting would be put up.
Lynn, who works as a responder, said: I just looked out and I saw the trees as its now, looking over the golf course, and I thought its fabulous.
But then after Christmas we got a letter from Newcastle Council saying Bellway should have put the netting up before they sold the house to us. If that happened I would have pulled out, theres no way I would have bought a property that close.
I have had three golf balls in my garden since the netting has gone up. I was ironing the other day I had my patio doors open. I heard this massive bang and a golf ball hit my wall. If it had been a foot further along it would have come through and hit me!
I have got grandkids and I cant use my garden. Its stopping me from having my grandkids. I have just paid nearly £4,000 to have my garden done and I cant sit in it. Im absolutely raging.
Lynn claims she has spoken to Bellway about the issue and they have told her to contact Newcastle City Council. She said that when she contacted the local authority they said it should be dealt with by the housebuilder.
A spokesperson for Bellway said: Bellway has not received any previous complaints related to golf balls landing in homeowners gardens or the location of properties in relation to the golf course.
The 12-meter-high golf netting was a key requirement of our planning conditions, as it is designed to prevent balls from putting homeowners at risk, and it has been installed by a company who specialises in installing netting of this type.
Due to poor weather and issues with the supply and installation of the netting, it was installed after residents moved into the properties but has now been fully completed earlier in the summer.
However, considering the issues being highlighted to us, we are organising an inspection from the specialist firm to ensure the netting is working as designed.
As part of our regulated sales procedures, customers are given detailed information of a plots location and any information relevant to the sale such as being adjacent to a golf course.
This is clearly highlighted in site plans and other key information provided to our customers at the point of reservation. In addition, during the conveyancing process, solicitors would provide any relevant information to customers about their property, its location and any other relevant information.
Prior to legal completion, customers are also given the opportunity to visit their new home to undertake home demonstrations, and again, in this instance, no complaints have been received in relation to the location of the homes at the time of those visits or subsequently.
A spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said: A planning condition requiring Bellway to prevent golf balls from hitting properties was put in place before any homes were sold.
This required the installation of a net which was not in place before homes became occupied. The council took enforcement action against Bellway and the net has now been installed. We are unable to comment on what information Bellway gave to residents about this matter.