Pensioner, 87, 'doctored documents in bid to stop millionaire neighbours extending their £20m mansion' in street they share with Paul McCartney

  • Brenda Fenton, 87, is accused of forgery by neighbours Clive and Marsha Lewis
  • They have been in a bitter feud for 21 years over their London homes
  • Fenton 'doctored documents' to stop the couple from extending their home
  • They live on a St Johns Wood street and are neighbours with Paul McCartney

A pensioner has been accused of doctoring documents in a bid to stop her millionaire neighbours from extending their £20million mansion on a street they share with Paul McCartney.

Brenda Fenton faces Clive and Marsha Lewis' forgery claim as part of a 21-year feud between the neighbours in a swanky St Johns Wood street shared with the Beatle.

The last battle cost the couple more than £250,000 in legal bills after a row over a gutter that was dumping rainwater onto Mrs Fenton's London property.

She won that case but is now accused of underhand tactics in a bid to stop the Lewises' latest plans to extend their Cavendish Avenue mansion.

Brenda Fenton faces Clive and Marsha Lewis' forgery claim as part of a 21-year feud between the neighbours in a swanky St Johns Wood street
Clive Lewis

Brenda Fenton, 87, (left) faces Clive (right) and Marsha Lewis' forgery claim as part of a 21-year feud between the neighbours in a swanky St Johns Wood street in London

But the Lewises claim the elderly artist - who moved into the home in 1969 and was Mr McCartney's next door neighbour - committed fraud to boost her case and to stop the extension of their £20m home. Pictured: Mrs Fenton's home

But the Lewises claim the elderly artist - who moved into the home in 1969 and was Mr McCartney's next door neighbour - committed fraud to boost her case and to stop the extension of their £20m home. Pictured: Mrs Fenton's home

The couple, both 65, claim the planned two-storey extension would solve the rainwater issue for good, but Mrs Fenton would do anything to get in their way.

Mrs Fenton insists the wall separating the properties is hers alone - rather than split down the middle - and she is entitled to stop her neighbours' plans.

But the Lewises claim the elderly artist - who moved into the home in 1969 and was Mr McCartney's next door neighbour - committed fraud to boost her case.

Their barrister, Philip Rainey QC, accused Mrs Fenton of doctoring a plan of her property to claim the boundary wall as entirely hers.

A forensic document examiner had inspected the plan and found crucial annotations had been added by hand in a different ink, he said.

The marks do not appear on the certified copy held by the Land Registry, but only on one which was provided for the case by Mrs Fenton, the QC added.

'The only conceivable motivation for the addition of these marks would be to mislead third parties as to the ownership of the wall,' he claimed.

'Her addition of the marks/lines...is a fraud, demonstrating that she will go to any lengths to secure victory in this appeal.'

Accusing her of 'forgery', Mr Rainey said Mrs Fenton would be the only person to benefit if the whole wall fell on her side of the boundary.

They are neighbours with Paul McCartney and are friendly with him, with a judge in an earlier hearing describing Mrs Fenton's relationship with the Beatle as 'excellent'. Pictured: Clive Lewis' home

They are neighbours with Paul McCartney and are friendly with him, with a judge in an earlier hearing describing Mrs Fenton's relationship with the Beatle as 'excellent'. Pictured: Clive Lewis' home

But giving evidence, Mrs Fenton steadfastly denied doctoring the plan to her Grade-II listed home and said, as far as she is concerned, the wall is all hers.

'Of course it's my wall, it's always been my wall,' she told Central London County Court.

'I was transferred a house with four walls. No one since 1969 has ever suggested to me that I have a house with a party wall.

'I didn't do it. I'm absolutely sure that I have never made alterations to anything. To be accused of altering documents, I'm astounded.

'I am being castigated here. I have been harassed by this man (Mr Lewis) for years.'

The neighbours have been at loggerheads since the late 1990s when the Lewises moved into the street, which is close to Abbey Road studios.

Both neighbours were friendly with McCartney, with a judge in an earlier hearing describing Mrs Fenton's relationship with the Beatle as 'excellent'.

However, the relationship between the Lewises and Mrs Fenton has been less cordial, with arguments dating back to their first years living next door.

The couple, both 65, claim the planned two-storey extension would solve a long disputed issue of rainwater issue for good, but says Mrs Fenton would do anything to get in their way. Pictured: Paul McCartney's home

The couple, both 65, claim the planned two-storey extension would solve a long disputed issue of rainwater issue for good, but says Mrs Fenton would do anything to get in their way. Pictured: Paul McCartney's home

Mrs Fenton lost a case brought against her by her neighbours in 2005 over her installation of fence panels on the shared garden wall.

She won the next battle in 2015 when a judge ordered the Lewises to remove a roof from which water had flowed from their extension onto Mrs Fenton's property.

They have since taken down the roof, but now plan to build an enlarged structure, which they say would finally solve the rainwater problem.

Last year, an independent surveyor issued a Party Wall Award, which authorises them to raise the boundary wall to build their extension.

But that only led the neighbours back to court, as Mrs Fenton launched her challenge to the surveyor's decision.

Sir Paul's home is separated from the two homes and is not involved 

Her barrister, Stuart Frame, claims that the Party Wall Award should be overturned as the wall in question is not actually shared.

'It is Mrs Fenton's case that the works authorised by the award cannot be executed due to the fact that the configuration of the walls in the immediate vicinity of the proposed works are not as assumed by the surveyor making the award,' he said.

Mr and Mrs Lewis say their neighbour should not be allowed to argue that the wall is hers alone, claiming she agreed informally through solicitors 21 years ago that the boundary runs down the middle of the wall.

She then stood by 'in silence' while the original extension was built off the wall, Mr Rainey told Judge Nicholas Parfitt.

Much of her case also referred to the plan which contains the allegedly fraudulent annotations, indicating that Mrs Fenton owns the whole wall.

'The current proposed extension is by way of compliance with the order in 2015, requiring Mr and Mrs Lewis to replace the roof of their extension,' said Mr Rainey.

'The judge was told that if the roof had to come off, the opportunity would be taken to build the additional storey.

'Mrs Fenton has done everything in her power, including issuing these proceedings, to interfere with Mr and Mrs Lewis' attempts to comply with that order.'

The judge reserved his decision on the case until a later date.

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