A WORRIED homeowner says he is living in fear after his back garden wall, which is perched perilously close to his garage, became unstable and started to collapse.

Tony Bailey, who has lived at his home in Coppock Close, Headington, for 52 years, is now in dispute with Oxford City Council after the wall became dislodged two weeks ago.

He said the council had initially refused to come and take a look despite his warnings that it was an accident waiting to happen.

And after a council crew did carry out an inspection, a row erupted over who has responsibility for the crumbling stone.

The 75-year old said: "I was in the garage when it first happened and I heard a rumbling noise and a then a lot of boulders came down.

"I was lucky, if the whole wall had come down I would be dead. If it falls down it will crush the garage completely.

"That wall had come down about 18 years ago and the insurers had sorted it but they are refusing this time and they are saying it is the council’s responsibility.

"I have argued with them already and they just come up with excuses."

He said he called the council on the advice of his insurers and added that despite telling the council it was a serious risk and a safety hazard nobody was listening to him.

He said: "We have been told not to go into the garage at all - if it comes down, and it will fall, it is going to cause a lot of damage."

He added that the wall was deteriorating further each day.

Mr Coppock said: "It is falling in different places, it is a risk to other people who in the nearby properties.

"I want the council to take it down so that it is safe, not just for me but for others."

Oxford City Council said on Thursday that following the concerns raised by the Oxford Mail a team had been sent to visit the property to assess the situation.

A spokesman for the council said that it was then agreed that securing the wall was beyond the remit of the city council but Mr Bailey disputes this.

Spokesperson Tony Ecclestone said: "We have urgently visited and agreed with the owner that it is his, and not our, responsibility.

"We are giving the owner advisory support to resolve the problem."

Mr Bailey said the wall was not on his property deed, and he has now referred the matter to the Ombudsman.