A raging businessman destroyed a bed of wildflowers in a row with green-fingered neighbours who installed a community planter outside his house.
Video footage appears to show wind turbine company director Mike Hodgson, 54, pulling out the colourful herbs and flowers less than 24 hours after the raised bed had been tenderly planted by volunteers.
Mr Hodgson and his partner, who have been accused of 'terrorising' locals with anti-social behaviour, allegedly took 'power tools and crowbars' to destroy the bed of blooms next to his luxury home.
The green energy boss and his partner Shirin Poostchi, 55, were filmed on Tuesday as they climbed onto the soil and pulled out the plants that had been put in place. Mr Hodgson was seen ripping out all the insect friendly plants before trying to cut up the wooden planter with an angle grinder.
Residents of Gwaenysgor then staged a 'sit-in' to protect the flower bed during the turf war in the heart of the countryside village.
Video footage appears to show wind turbine company director Mike Hodgson, 54, pulling out the colourful herbs and flowers less than 24 hours after the raised bed had been planted
Mr Hodgson was pictured holding a crowbar aloft as he spoke to village volunteers
Mr Hodgson attempted to destroy the wooden planter by cutting it up with an angle grinder
Villagers staged a sit in to try and protect the bed, but Mr Hodgson simply climbed over them
Michael Hodgson, 53, is the CEO of an offshore wind company but used to work in the oil and gas industries
Locals said there had been an ongoing planning dispute with wind turbine company boss Mr Hodgson after he moved into the countryside village of Gwaenysgor, North Wales, around 10 years ago.
Tuesday's incident marked a low point in a long running feud between Mr Hodgson, his partner Shirin Poostchi and a number of residents in Gwaenysgor, near Prestatyn, in Flintshire, north Wales.
There has been allegations of verbal abuse, vandalising of cars and other vehicles being covered in stale bread, chip fat and lipstick when they had been parked close to Mr Hodgson's home.
Complaints to police about the hostile climate and distressing incidents in the village have created a bulging file known by insiders as the 'Gwaenysgor problem' but have not resulted in any action.
At lunchtime on Tuesday, two police cars containing four officers raced to the scene and separated the opposing factions amid fears it could come to blows over the biodiversity project.
It was one of six planned planters to be set up on odd areas of unkempt, unadopted ground around the village and it was constructed with the help of the local conservation group as part of a Britain in Bloom bid.
Mr Hodgson, who worked for 20 years in the oil and gas industries, is understood to have become increasingly incensed over three failed planning applications he had made for his £500,000, four bedroom home at the end of Lon Capel street.
The bed was planted in preparation for Britain in Bloom and in association with the village Conservation Group and Community Council Biodiversity Project
Community volunteers sat on the planter in an attempt to stop the couple from destroying it
Mr Hodgson and Ms Poostchi brought tools to the flower bed and tried to demolish it completely
Less than 24 hours earlier members of the Gwaesnygor community had come together to plant the first of six planned beds
The plants were all bee and insect friendly, and it was hoped the planters would help the area's biodiversity
On each occasion there has been vociferous opposition from locals opposed to his attempt to build a home office and gym in his garden and create off street parking for himself on land which they say he does not own.
Mr Hodgson, 53, director of a company which maintains the blades on wind turbines, and Ms Poostchi, 55, moved into Gwaenysgor in 2013. Soon after clashes with neighbours began.
He has even been barred from the Eagle & Child opposite his house by landlord Clinton Borders who has complained about access to his premises for customers and brewery drays being blocked.
Neighbour Andy Clarke, 58, said: 'We installed a herb planter adjacent to their house - it is not on their land but is next to it.
'Members of the public had to sit on the bed to stop them destroying it. The police were called but no one was cautioned or arrested.
'What happened was breathtaking.
'We had all worked on this to try and brighten up some of the messier parts of the village. There is a wonderful growing sense of community here but one which Mr Hodgson does not seem to share.
'We hoped this planter would be the beginning of a planned project of six which would blossom in to a full-blown Britain in Bloom entry. After less than 24 hours, we are back to square one.'
Mr Clarke, a creative director at a design agency, added the flowers had been planted with the support of the community council in what he described as a 'sleepy, rural, village, where the average age of residents must be over 60'.
He said: 'We planted this to brighten things up and as part of readying the village for Britain in Bloom and in association with the village Conservation Group and Community Council Biodiversity Project.'
Mr Hodgson is seen gesticulating at the person filming the incident
It is not known what happened to the plants uprooted during the row on Tuesday
Posting a video of the incident on social media, Mr Clarke added: 'To see our friends and neighbours terrorised and threatened by [Mr Hodgson] will haunt my sleep.'
During the video, a man can be heard saying in front of Mr Hodgson: 'This is how CEOs of companies behave. I'm going to love putting this on his LinkedIn account later on today. This is going to be fabulous on his LinkedIn profile.'
Mr Clarke said villagers had previously contacted their local Conservative Senedd Member Mark Isherwood and police regarding alleged 'anti-social behaviour' problems with Mr Hodgson but to no avail.
Accusations levelled by residents include verbal abuse and inconsiderate parking.
Mr Hodgson said he did not wish to comment on the dispute and said: 'To be honest it is not something we want to be dealing with.'
Ms Poostchi added: 'We're trying to get on with our day at work.'
North Wales Police has been contacted for comment.
