A Bristol mum whose back garden has fallen into a massive trench after her neighbour demolished his house says she is living in a nightmare.

Nearly five months ago, single mum Louise Church told the Evening Post that her small back garden in Ilminster Avenue, Knowle, had subsided and much of it had fallen into a large hole, caused by her neighbour digging the foundations of his house.

When the Post contacted the owner and developer John Fry, he said that once he had the money in place that he would fix any problems caused by the demolition.

But months later and just weeks before Christmas, Ms Church, 28, who has two children, who are six and two, said the stress has become too much.

She told the Evening Post: "No repairs have been started at all on any part of the house. I am going to have to find an alternative way to park my car now that the high winds are forecast.

"My neighbours have told me that some of the tiles are starting to vibrate and flap in the wind and we obviously don't want it to come down and damage my car."

She added: "I am absolutely sickened by it. I am absolutely sick and fed up with the whole situation. Why have we got to live with this while the developer has the comfort of his own home? It's absolutely frustrating.

"Apart from liaising with the local authority, and departments therein, my hands are tied, I can't do anything about this person. I have to leave it to the experts in this field to get this guy sorted out on my behalf."

Ms Church's children have been unable to play outside for months, for fear they will fall down the hole in the garden.

Ms Church, a medical secretary for a dental hospital, moved into the middle terraced property in 2001, but didn't encounter any problems until a fire at her next door neighbour's property in Easter 2007.

For six months the house lay empty, until it was bought by a private buyer, who began to demolish the property last Christmas.

Ms Church: "The developer has put myself and my two small children through hell and back and still is doing so.

"My back garden has been destroyed. They left a massive trench into which my garden has slipped.

"I have a massive cavity under my patio which is full of water most of the time, which he has failed to repair and the patio is slowly slipping downwards into the hole.

"My internal walls are now external and have been so since he demolished the house some seven months ago.

"The internal walls are now wet, and my children's room has mildew on the wall as a result. My bedroom has the start of peeling paint where it is damp.

"The house is cold and damp and I have spent a fortune trying to keep the house heated."

She added: "With Christmas around the corner, I could do without this. With the bad weather forecast for the coming days and weeks, I am aware that further damage to my property is likely."

Ms Church also claims that youths get into her garden at night, where they take drugs, drink alcohol and urinate against her garden wall.

The developer Mr Mills told the Evening Post yesterday: "The house is going up for auction this month, but if we don't get the right price, then I am going ahead with my plans to turn it into four flats. 

"Unfortunately I haven't been able to get any funding from the banks. When I bought it, it cost me £86,000 and even though it doesn't look like it, I've spent £20,000 on that house. If I sold it now, I would make a huge loss, but if someone is willing to take it off my hands for £80,000 I will accept that.

"I did not set out to do this deliberately. I have been a victim of the financial situation. But whatever happens, I will start work on it in January. All damage to Ms Church's property will be paid for."