Neighbours from hell

The first thing that the Council will tell you to do if you speak to them is to keep a diary log so start doing that now and write down every incident however small. Your council will have advice as to how to deal with this kind of problem on their website. As soon as you have a detailed amount of information send it to them but continue to keep it and chase them if you don't get a response within a reasonable time.
If it escalates contact the safer neighbourhood team at your local police station. It is quite likely that these people are known to them.
Good luck. My nightmare neighbour has been away for about 6 weeks and it has been heaven but we are all worried about her return. We are hoping that she has applied for a transfer but her flat needs to be repaired and I think this has to be done before she can transfer so we think she may be returning.
I have had an unfair number of nightmare neighbours. One who played loud music all night would say that he was a reviewer for Capital radio when I complained. Another was selling cars (pretending to be a private seller) and he registered them at my address and I got piles of parking, speeding and every other kind of notice that it is possible to get with a car. It takes the DVLC ages to remedy that kind of thing. I informed the Police who said that he was known to them and I had a visit from a woman from the DWP who were investing him asking me about him.
In the first instance I sold my flat - and he moved out about 2 weeks after exchange which was really annoying.
Hopefully they will move. Fingers crossed.

I’m not a police officer, but there is legislation relating to harassment, alarm and distress.
As a suggestion, speak to your local community officer( just hoping you have one) and discuss the situation.
You could meet them away from the property.
Is this neighbour an owner occupier or renting via social housing? Also, speak to you local environmental department at the council, they can offer advice, like keeping a diary of the events. I wish you luck.?

Is it possible that your neighbour thought the McDonald's bag came from your side and just lobbed it back? I had this issue with a neighbour once and used to find rubbish thrown over the fence. I spoke to her and said it wasn't mine, she had just assumed it was. Turned out to be teenagers from another street - another neighbour spotted them, our houses were the last two before they turned for their home so they just shoved the rubbish over the hedge. CCTV would help catch the culprits, again with the door knocking/bell ringing - this sounds more like teenagers that grown women, CCTV would show you who it is - you can even get an app for your mobile phone that lets you see who is at your front door remotely.

Smurf unlike other posters, I do think it possible it is the neighbour banging on your door. We had a similar problem with a neighbour some years ago. In my case it was silent phone calls whenever I was in the garden, so that I had to stop what I was doing and go in to answer them.

Fortunately, the first week we moved in a rather embarrassed new neighbour said that I ought to know that there were problems with the neighbour living opposite and I was warned about just the kind of silent calls I received and also warned not to accept any offers of baby sitting.

If I was you I would put up a camera, somewhere visible where it can be seen, but not reached. That may well be enough to stop the annoyance, or even just a large sign on the door saying 'CCTV camera installed'.

I have to say that in similar circumstances i'd bite the bullet and plan to move..... you seem to have a future of trouble... why stay... try to move and put it all behind you. ..

I was going to suggest the same as Liz- a camera.
They don't cost very much and I don't think they are difficult to put up. Then you have proof if you need to take this any further.

Dear Smurf I am sorry that you are feeling so unhappy in your new environment. However, I think it unlikely that it is neighbours knocking on your door and I wonder if you are being a little oversensitive to what you see as a series of 'negatives.'
Like you, I would find the dumping of rubbish very upsetting, but if this was an isolated incident , back-dating to before you moved in, then I would try to put it behind you. If more rubbish appears on your property from your neighbours, that is a different matter. That does not seem to be the case unless I have missed something.
Your landlord is sorting the fence out, so that is another potential problem solved.
It is hard to be on your own in a new environment, but I do wonder if it is your own anxiety, rather than 'nightmare neighbours' that is the real source of the problem.
Different people have different levels of how much they want to engage with neighbours. Unfriendly, but 'private' - keeping themselves to themselves, is not the same as problematical. If it is NOT your neighbours that have banged your door, I cannot really see that they are posing a problem to you - a disappointment if you had hoped to build a friendship, but not a problem.

Think about your own actions and your own hopes. Moving is very stressful - all the more so if you live alone, you are bound to be vulnerable, but maybe you just need to have more time to settle in.

IF the door banging does happen at the same time - or within the same time frame on a regular basis, it is worth reporting this as a PCSO/ Community Warden could be on hand to monitor and intervene in this situation.

Be thankful that you're a tenant, not the owner, so you have the freedom to move! I certainly wouldn't be spending money so soon on decorating and fencing - the latter is surely not your responsibility anyway.

I can understand your reluctance to move as it costs money and it's a time-consuming upheaval, particularly trying to find a place that will allow a dog, however I would find the neighbour situation intolerable.

No wonder the landlord and agents are amenable - they've probably lost previous tenants because of the situation and are keen for you to stay.

Is it worth thinking about CCTV?

I also wonder f you’re wrong and it isn’t them banging on your door If they are out at work all day why would they? Are you sure it’s not kids, the giggling also sounds more like kids I can’t see what two grown, working women would get out of banging on your door but I can also understand how unnerving it is whoever is doing it

I remember your thread from before where you were concerned more about the fence being open in one place which now seems to have been sorted ( be it temporarily)

I don’t actually understand if you are renting for six months with the opportunity to renew why you would ‘spend quite a lot on the place’ in the first month, until you knew it was going to be right for you, as you posted originally very soon after moving in with big reservations

I always think silence and ignoring is the quickest way to diffuse a situation like this, the more fuss you make the more they will provoke ( if it is them)

Hope it all sorts out

I remember your post about your fence, smurf and my concern for you then. I don't have an answer for you sadly only some wonders. If you are on good terms with other neighbours you could get a sense of their experience with these people or with door banging. Is there any chance it isn't them and your first thought about children was accurate? Alternatively if the landlord is approachable ask him if previous tenants have had a problem, but then he may not tell you. I can only hope if this behaviour is from your neighbours it will stop if you don't react. If it doesn't, or there is other anti social behaviour you could seek advice from your local PCSO or the CAB about your experiences. I'm sure other people will have more informed advice for you but you know, sadly, in your situation if this were definitely neighbours I'm not sure I would be wanting to stay. I do understand your sadness and disappointment and hope there can be a resolution very soon.