A father has called for drastic action in a row about stray golf balls at a popular UK golf resort…

An English golf resort has been warned by a homeowner concerned by the number of stray golf balls landing in his property that one bad shot could have “catastrophic” consequences.

William Fennel lives next to the Ufford Park Resort, a parkland layout in Suffolk, and says the impact of golf balls flying past him in his own home has been “terrifying” and that the problem is worsening.

Fennel, a 44-year-old joiner and father-of-two, has hit out at the resort, calling on its owners to “take responsibility” for a current design that he believes has now been rendered dangerous in the world of modern equipment, with balls now travelling further than ever before.

“No golfer wants to hit a bad shot,” he told the BBC. “It’s the responsibility of the course that if they do hit a bad shot, it stays within the bounds of the course.”

Fennel said that balls started finding his property two years ago and there have now been around 100 of them with dents in his two cars and roof tiles dislodged from an outbuilding causing up to £3,000 in damage.

“Imagine a child being in a coma in Ipswich Hospital having been struck by a golf ball,” he warned. “In my experience, if these things can happen at some point, they will. Children should have the right to play without fear or random projectiles causing them a great deal of harm.”

Fennel moved into his property, which sits adjacent to one of the fairways at Ufford Park, eight years ago, which is 18 years after the course was opened for business. He was asked whether stray golf balls landing by his home was always a possibility after moving so close to a golf course.

“I would say, if you chose to live next to a shooting range and you had a few stray bullets come into your garden, would you be happy with that?” he replied. He also used another analogy, saying that if somebody lived near a farm and “half a dozen” cows entered his garden and kicked a dent in the homeowner’s car, they’d be entitled to ask the farmer why they were allowed to enter the property.

“We’ve had several thousand pounds worth of damage to vehicles and property, and I heard a golf ball whistle past my ear and the thud as it landed was terrifying,” he added. “We would really like Ufford Park golf course to take responsibility for that.”

Fennel wants the resort to pay for the damage to his property and is said to have even set up a satirical website for golfers to pay to reclaim their balls that have landed in his garden.

The resort told the BBC it was “committed to providing a safe environment” and conducts regular risk reviews for players and those who live nearby the course.

A spokesperson added: “Since opening back in 1992, we have engaged in course redesign, signage and education whilst reminding golfers of their responsibilities of care whilst playing.”