Shed with a difference ordered to be torn down

A finalist in Britain's Shed Of The Year competition has been told he must tear down his pride and joy after it was built without planning permission.

Jonathan Melville-Smith created 'Jack Sparrow House', out of recycled wood in his back garden.

The 80sq ft holiday cabin with a difference, which he says is "designed for fairies and pixies", is currently rented as a unique holiday home. But neighbours complained about the smell from its chemical toilets and smoke from the wood burner, and Cornwall Council became involved.

Officials have now ordered it to be demolished after it was found to have been built without planning permission, and retrospective permission was rejected.

Despite complaints, the Council found no evidence of the smell which had caused initial complaints.

Jonathan built the shed, containing a table, gas hob, basin, shelves, seats and a bunk bed on a tiny mezzanine level, in the garden of his hoe in St Keverne.

He describes the 'Jack Sparrow' house as having a "wibbly-wobbly shape" and with "a door that looks a bit like a flame" which "reminds people of pixies and fairies".

The unique holiday home is quite popular, with people all over the world coming to stay in the unique shed.

It reached the Shed of the Year contest thanks to its intriguing design and intuitive use of space.

Jonathan has now created his own campsite, which is popular with tourists in the summer months, after combining two caravans with a tree house and the shed.

But trouble arose when nearby neighbours complained about the land use. To appease the planning inspectorate, Jonathan applied for retrospective planning permission, claiming he did not know he needed planning permission to build a shed.

Enforcement action is now being taken against Jonathan, after a vote to continue enforcement action against Mr Smith was agreed by councillors in a unanimous vote.

He is now appealing the council's decision.