Farmer Stuart Ridley left high and dry as water supply cut off

Oct 1 2009 by David Black, The Journal

A ROW has broken out between neighbours in a sleepy village over the disconnection of a decades-old water supply to fields used by a local farmer to keep cattle in.

Retired businessman Simon Band, 66, cut off the supply which runs through his property in Slaley, Northumberland and on into two nearby fields owned by local farmer Stuart Ridley.

For many years the system supplied water to two drinking troughs for cattle kept in the fields by Mr Ridley, and his father Arthur before him. The water used by the Ridleys is metered and over the years they have been billed by Mr Band and paid him for what they use.

In the last few weeks Mr Ridley let the two fields to another local farmer who moved cattle into them – only to find that the water supply had been cut off and the meter removed by Mr Band.

A bowser is having to be used to water the cattle, and now Mr Ridley says he faces having to pay between £1,000 and £2,000 to have his own supply connected from the mains.

He and his mother, Rita, who live in adjoining properties at South Farm, Slaley, say they can't understand why Mr Band has disconnected the supply.