David Cameron's fight with son for £25,000 shepherd's hut

Former prime minister David Cameron says he has a battle on his hands to try to turn a luxury cabin for his Cotswolds' garden into his writing den.

Mr Cameron, who suddenly stepped away from the cut and thrust of Westminster politics last year, has seen battle lines drawn with his family for control of a shepherd's hut.

His children have firm plans for the Farrow and Ball-painted hut, he said in a blog for the Oxfordshire-based company.

He said: "Well, there's been a bit of a fight already. My children want to use it as a Wendy house, I want to use it as a book-writing room and my son also wants it as an alternative bedroom. So, quite a lot of competition.

"When it first arrived there was great excitement - who was going to spend the first night in it?

"Who won? That was my son ... I wasn't going to take him on!"

The Camerons' hut is decorated internally with Farrow and Ball shades. The wheels, steps and roof are painted black.

An internal wooden frame, providing more nooks and crannies, Kirkpatrick hinges on all the doors and retro Bakelite-style dimmer-light switches were among the special features which were designed into the hut for the Camerons.

They also have a corner-set wood-burning stove and a pull-out double sofa bed.

Mr Cameron bought it from Red Sky Shepherds Huts, owned by Paul Bennett, based in Oxfordshire - near his former Witney constituency - after seeing one owned by his mother-in-law.

In the blog, Mr Cameron says: "I should say here that Samantha makes all the design decisions in this family. As ever she has made a very good choice."

Mr Cameron is understood to have signed a deal late last year to write his autobiography, set to be released next year.