A man who illegally chopped down a protected willow tree to build a £75k 'man cave' in his back garden is at war with neighbours and the local council.
Justin Claybourn, 56, erected the two-storey annexe without planning permission has now been hit with a hefty fine and ordered to demolish the entire structure.
He flouted council rules by constructing the 12-metre-long hideaway behind his detached home in the picturesque Foggathorpe, an ancient East Yorkshire hamlet referenced in the Domesday Book.
Despite being granted permission for a single-storey garage, the father-of-two spent £75,000 on a lavish DIY project complete with a steel staircase, French doors, and first-floor balcony that neighbours say invades their privacy.
Mr Claybourn, a plumber and builder, also illegally chopped down a mature 50ft willow tree that had been protected under a Tree Preservation Order (TPO).
