The mum-of-two moved into her privately-rented home in The Ridgeway, Cleadon Park, South Shields, in March, with sons James, 10, and Curtis, 12.

A passageway separates her house from her neighbours', giving both residents access to their back gardens.

But Miss Harvey, a full-time mum, doesn't have a key to the door and her neighbours, who have one, won't give her a copy.

She said: "My neighbours won't give me a key because they replaced the PVC door and want to ebe reimbursed by my landlord.

"But he says they should have never replaced it in the first place.

"At first I was told if the boys wanted to get through they just had to ask, but this doesn't happen any more.

"So now I'm stuck in the middle and every time the kids want their bikes out I have to trail them through the house. It's a nightmare."

Landlord Glyn Williams has owned the property for the last four years.

He claims there was nothing wrong with the door which was originally covering the passageway.

He said: "I've tried asking the neighbours for the key to the new door, but I was told this wouldn't be possible until I paid for half, but the new door was put on without any consultation involving me.

"At the moment we're at loggerheads and communication no longer exists.

"The deeds of the house state there should be communal access to the passageway, but this isn't happening.

"My next steps will be to contact my solicitor because this is madness."

Miss Harvey now dreads school holidays because it means her sons will want to take their bikes out.

She added: "It's a cruel thing to do really. At the end of the day this problem started before I moved in, so I don't see why my children have to suffer.

"I also have to keep my bins at the front door too, because I draw the line at dragging them through the house, it would be disgusting."

Miss Harvey's neighbours declined to comment.