Leeds mum's £217,000 'forever home' left with rats, wasps and holes after neighbour illegally demolished his half

From the Newshound archive · first published 30 September 2026 · last updated 1 October 2026.

Shivarna Mitra, 44, spent years saving to purchase a three-bedroom semi-detached house in Pudsey, Leeds, then put a further £80,000 into renovations — only to see neighbour Chris Rhodes illegally demolish his side of the property. Rats have chewed through her electrical wiring, squirrels and wasps have entered through large gaps in the structure, and rainwater has ruined carpets, wallpaper and electrics during her recovery from cancer. Leeds City Council retrospectively refused Rhodes's planning application but, according to Mitra, moved too slowly to stop the damage. Her monthly heating costs have now climbed to around £630, with every radiator and portable heater in the house running flat out.

Mitra, who lives with her elderly mother and three-year-old son, fears the £217,000 property is now structurally unsafe and unsellable.

Rhodes claimed he demolished the gable wall because it became unsafe after a storm, citing Health and Safety Executive guidance.

'The whole ordeal has been a nightmare and it's caused me to be very ill,' Mitra said, adding that she cannot access the neighbouring land to carry out repairs.