An outraged villa owner caught dozens of hikers trespassing on his mountainside property and washing the mud off their shoes in his outdoor swimming pool.

The owner Chen Long complained that strangers had wandered onto his land in Longwu Tea Town, Hangzhou, China, and dirtied his outdoor swimming area by washing their muddy shoes and hiking poles in the water.

He also mentioned that parts of the lawn were severely damaged, and a sun umbrella was broken.

Chen said that the holidaymakers were participants in the 2024 Hangzhou Xishan International Hiking Festival on October 27.

Having owned the damaged villa for more than four years, he said this was the first time he had encountered such an issue.

He added that the incident occurred over the weekend when the villa was empty.

Chen told local media: 'The doors were locked, and while we didn't use an iron gate around the property, we had set up caution tape, and no one had trespassed in four years.

'But on that day, they pushed down the tape and came in. There were dozens of people of all ages, including seniors, adults, and children.'

Chen reported the case to the police and demanded that the event organizer, Youxiake Sports, compensate him and issue a public apology.

He believes the organiser is responsible for the incident, though they claim the behaviour was solely due to the participants' actions.

Chen estimated his financial loss at nearly CNY 10,000 (GBP 1,076) and explained that he initially did not plan to publicise the matter but felt compelled to do so as the event organisers shirked responsibility.

A customer service representative for Youxiake Sports expressed regret and stated they would actively follow up on the issue.