A five-year row over a wooden fence has left a pair of neighbours more than £100,000 out of pocket.

The dispute, involving Jenny Field, 76, and 64-year-old Pauline Clark, has been raging over a narrow strip of land between their bungalows in Dorset since 2020.

It was taken to court after Ms Field demolished a six-foot-high fence which had separated their homes.

She claimed it had been moved one foot onto her land.

The dispute has been raging over a narrow strip of land between two bungalows in Dorset since 2020

But after multiple court cases, a judge ruled there was "no reasoned basis" for Ms Field's claims, and ordered her to pay Mrs Clark more than £100,000 in order to cover her legal fees.

In total, including damages, the amount owed is £113,266.

On Friday, District Judge Ross Fentem presided over the hearing at Bournemouth County Court.

He ordered Ms Field to sell her £420,000 detached bungalow in order to cover the bill, saying: "The parties need to find a way of putting the entirety of this dispute behind them."

In June 2020, Mrs Clark tore down and replaced the wooden fence between the two properties in a cul-de-sac in Hamworthy, Poole.

Ms Field then hired contractors two months later to tear the new one down, claiming it had been moved onto her land.

Mrs Clark started legal proceedings for damage, theft and trespassing, and a judge in a civil court ruled in her favour in December 2022.

Originally, Ms Field was ordered to pay £11,800 to Mrs Clark to cover damage to the fence and retaining wall, as well as her £2,120 legal costs.

However, the cost rose significantly after Ms Field tried to overturn the decision multiple times.

Anna Curtis, representing Mrs Clark, said in the most recent hearing that Ms Field had "no intention" of paying the amount owed, and asked for an order for sale.

On Friday, a hearing took place at Bournemouth County Court

She added that the feud had been so stressful for Mrs Clark that she had undergone private counselling to help her cope with the "horrendous" situation.

Judge Fentem said: "This is a very long-running boundary dispute. The defendant has, in various ways, sought to relitigate the original case.

"Every attempt to relitigate has failed. She appears to be convinced some form of fraud has taken place. There appears to be no reasoned basis for the allegation.

"There is no evidence in the documentation any wrongdoing was committed."

He added: "I have no confidence at all the claimant will be paid what she is owed except by an order for sale."

Ms Field said: "I have estate agents coming round to put my home on the market for £600,000 so that I will have the money to pay the court.

"I am selling it because I have to and I am fed up with living here but I will offer to pay her £1 per week."