Mr West said that the lack of raised pavements and kerbs created problems, especially for the visually impaired who rely on a dog or a white stick.

BBC: Caernarfon Castle Square parking ban for many motorists

Some white-bearded old men turn up with an axe or just a stick.

ECONOMIST: Pakistan's Swat valley

For Yandell, his wife and many other residents trying to stick it out, the white picket fence of an American dream has faded into a seemingly hopeless suburban nightmare.

CNN: Is America's suburban dream collapsing into a nightmare?