A retired prison officer has invented a garden fence with hidden spikes that deflate tyres of vehicles mounting his lawn. Kevin Pringle, 64, from Milton Keynes, created the 'Smart Fence' after repeated damage from cars leaving muddy trenches on his grass verge.
The picket-style barrier, costing around £40 for half a metre, contains plastic-covered spikes that activate under the weight of a car. The spikes slowly puncture tyres, similar to police stingers. Pringle says the fence can be lifted for mowing and deters illegal parking without the need for unsightly boulders.
Pringle, who spent three years on the design, says he tested the prototype on an old Hyundai Getz. He believes councils could use the fence to prevent unauthorised traveller encampments, noting his own council spent £250,000 on barriers in five years. He argues that drivers committing criminal damage are liable for their own vehicle damage.
A Milton Keynes highways spokesperson declined to comment on the product but acknowledged the issue of illegal parking on verges.
