Georgia Douglas, a tenant at Longden Street, was stunned when workmen appeared and began laying the path which runs alongside her bedroom window.

The 58-year-old said there had been no warning about the work, with the first sign being when she saw painted markings outside the property earlier this month.

Within a couple of days, a pile of slabs and concrete had also been dumped outside ahead of the construction work, which has since been completed.

Ms Douglas, who was forced to stop working following a stroke around three years ago, claimed she was not notified about the council plans, the result of which is a communal path extending from her front garden to the rear of the property.

She told the Post this had resulted in people continually walking through what should be her private garden.

The mother-of-two, a tenant for 16 years, said: “They have made this public walkway and left my garden completely open.

“Other private gardens have fences but mine doesn’t. It means people are using my garden all the time — I just don’t understand it.” The work has now been completed but old slabs remain at the site, yet to be disposed of.

Caroline Bayliss, Ms Douglas’ daughter, said: “For years, my mum has been asking for a fence to give her some privacy but she has been ignored.

“People are walking through her garden to get to their space but there’s nothing to show that my mum’s garden is private.

“What’s to stop people using that area?” Ms Douglas added: “I have no privacy. I’m starting to get frightened. Now I’m no longer fit to work, I just want to enjoy my privacy and my garden.

“I don’t want any trouble. There are just too many people trampling all over the place.” A spokeswoman for West Dunbartonshire Council said: “We are sorry to hear Ms Douglas is unhappy. She was informed of this planned work in April and has not contacted the council with any issues.

“The Scottish Government has made it a requirement for all housing landlords to provide bin stores in a good state of repair and that they can be accessed safely. At this communal site we have widened the existing path by 30cm and created a new bin store at the rear of the property to address concerns that previously bins were being left out in the street.

“Ms Douglas’ rear garden area already has fencing to the rear and side, with the other side divided from her neighbour’s garden by a mature hedge.”`