A ‘frail’ pensioner is being sued by his neighbours over claims he set fire to the garden fence of their £2.6 million house in Surrey.

Mark Randolph Dyer and his wife Clare are suing 80-year-old neighbour David Baker, accusing him of ’25 years of harassment’.

The property tycoons have hired some top barristers to argue their case against against Mr Baker, who claims they are spending tens of thousands of pounds in a claim for £8,865.

As a result, Mr Baker says they are using their millions to intimidate him and ‘get their pound of flesh’ in court.

Instead of backing down, he urged the rich couple to build a fireproof wall.

His barrister, Lina Mattsson, told Guildford County Court her client ‘strenuously’ denies setting fire to the fence.

She said: ‘Mr Baker suggests the claimants may wish to replace the wooden fence with a fire-resistant fence – bricks or concrete – if they are concerned about fire.

‘He is 80 years old and in frail health and has absolutely no interest or intention of harassing or intimidating the Dyers or their children – or agents.

‘Nor does he wish for the wooden fence to catch fire or for it to be a fire hazard.’

Former estate agent turned property tycoon Mr Dyer and his wife moved into the sprawling home in 1997.

Since then, they have made more than 30 planning applications relating to their home and land.

Some of these were rejected or withdrawn following objections from neighbours, and the case had to be seen against that backdrop, according to Mr Baker’s counsel.

In 2007, the Dyers clashed with the council after they were found to have created a ‘permanent helipad’ in their field.

The couple – both aged 64 – were ultimately told to remove the helipad via an enforcement notice.

Ms Mattson told Judge Lindsey George: ‘It is Mr Baker’s case that Mr and Mrs Dyer have made various false allegations against both him and his neighbours, and use the threat of litigation and substantial cost orders as a means of intimidation to stop the neighbours objecting to their various planning applications or breaches of planning law.’

The couple say they have been harassed and pestered by Mr Baker since moving into their home in Albury, near Guildford, which boasts a swimming pool and tennis court and at one point its own helipad.

They claim he is behind a number of malicious letters and phone calls to them over the years.

The pensioner is also accused of abusing their guests flying in by a helicopter, and even poisoning trees on their land.

The final straw came in June 2021 when the couple’s fence was torched, and Mrs Dyer had to tackle the flames herself.

She says she now feels trapped in her own home because of anxiety.

Apart from damages, Mr and Mrs Dyer are also seeking a permanent injunction barring Mr Baker from piling ‘combustible or explosive’ materials near their fence.

The contempt application and the full trial have both now been adjourned until a later date.

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