Grandmother, 89, who spent 25 years creating stunning street garden ordered to tear it down by council

A council has told an 89-year-old grandma she may have to bin the street garden she has lovingly tended for decades after her neighbours complained about "anti-social behaviour".

Katharine Hoskyns created a small oasis with a bench and some plant pots to cheer up the area outside her house in St John's Wood, north-west London, more than 25 years ago.

The retired teacher says she loves looking after to the collection of tomatoes, geraniums, and herbs, and that many of her neighbours come to help out.

However, last month Westminster City Council (WCC) issued her notice asking her to remove the bench and plants after a "series of complaints from residents" that site is attracting "anti-social behaviour".

The council said it was "reluctantly" obliged to start a formal process - but hoped the situation could be resolved "amicably".

She said: “There is just one person who doesn’t like it. They thought there was anti-social behaviour on the bench. There is no anti-social behaviour.”

Hamilton Gardens is a cul-de-sac located close to Abbey Road, and just a stone’s throw from the studio where the Beatles famously recorded their albums.

Katharine has lived in her home there since the 1960s and slowly added the plant pots over the years.

She said: “The council put in parking, so I had cars parked outside my house where I used to have a nice space.

"I decided instead of being miserable about it I was going to make the space nice again.

“I love it because I can go and potter around with my pots and people come up and talk to me. It is nice and sociable.

“I was really upset when I got the letter. It doesn’t cause obstruction, there is plenty of room for a wheelchair.”

The letter, sent at the end of July, said WCC had received complaints from “members of the local community.”

It added that council believed the garden could cause issues, stating that fallen pots could cause injury and the bench has not been confirmed as "structurally safe".