A father fears for the safety of his children after the collapse of a fence which leaves his garden open to his neighbour’s five dogs.

Paul Arnold, 36, of Wilson Avenue, Deal, believes it is the council’s housing association’s responsibility to fix the fence, which has slowly got worse over a year.

Mr Arnold, a doorman, lives with his fiancée Bryoni Leir, 25, their three children and two cats in privately rented accommodation.

He said: “The dogs have been in my garden a few times.

“But when my neighbour spoke to the council about this, they told her not to let her dogs out,” he said.

“Summer isn’t that far away so my children will want to go out there.”

His next-door neighbour Pauline Rawl lives in a council-owned property, which is why Mr Arnold feels that the council’s housing association, East Kent Housing (EKH), should foot the bill for repair costs.

After the Mercury got in contact with EKH, the area maintenance manager Tim Goss visited the site to assess the situation.

Although Mr Goss said responsibility for mending fences between properties rested with the tenant, EKH is now considering fitting a four-foot chain link fence which would close the gap.

Mr Arnold said: “I would be quite happy with that. All I want is a safe environment for my children and I am not asking for anything unrealistic.

'All I want is a safe environment for my children and I am not asking for anything unrealistic.' - Mr Arnold

“All I want is a nice space for them to play in.

“I will have no other issues once this is fixed.”

Maintenance manager Mr Goss said: “Residents are responsible for the fencing between their properties.

“If the fence is damaged and in need of repair, the tenant must carry out the work as per the tenancy agreement.

“EKH is only responsible for fences that back on to a public highway or pathway.”