Your neighbours may see the matter as disrespect in projectile form, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. An apology, a request and a direct conversation is better than petty revenge

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Our neighbours never return the ball if my 10-year-old son accidentally kicks it over the hedge playing football. It is not a regular occurrence – maybe once every six weeks. We ask for the ball back and each time it has surprisingly vanished.

We’ve heard stories from the shared neighbours that their son’s football was slashed.