Just need some advice

Hi I'm just looking for some advice I'm not sure where I can go to get it we've just got new neighbours we have a shared pathway and one of them are council house and they're saying they own the pathway but the previous owner have never mentioned it or said anything about it and the owner before that one has never mentioned it or said anything about it

They have just bought it and they said apparently they own it we just want to know where we stand and if that's true would we be informed by the council to let us know because no one had mentioned it before we thought it was a shared pathway because the previous owner lived there build a drive on her front garden we just kind of want to know what's happening and how can we prove it because they haven't showed us proof and we never knew about it and we don't even know if it's true as the previous owners never mentioned and I would have thought they would have said or given us a warning

Because due to the drive that the previous owners build the pathway has been cut down to its very small to walk on and are flowers and plants does grow sometimes over it so we have to cut it down but they're saying they're in charge of it because they own it but it's in our garden the plants and flowers we kind of just want to know what's happening and get anyone help?

Also we've been here for over 25 years and no one has ever mentioned it or said anything about it everyone assumed it was a shared pathway

Thank you for your help if not allowed please delete