Sorry can't give advice on claims, but as you live in a house owned by the council, you need to contact them immediately.
You want to get the rights of way situation sorted and I presume the council would have all that information to hand. It could be that you shouldn't have cut a hole in the fence to get access to your drive. Two wrongs dont make a right.
I understand how you must feel, but when your neighbours initially removed the shared path, then that's the time you really should have contacted the council.
I hope it all gets sorted out OK.