A motor mechanic and garage owner, has been ordered to demolish his £500,000 home at West Compton, after it was built without planning permission.

The property, situated on agricultural land above the rural hamlet of West Compton, is a contemporary, single-storey barn-style home.

Tony Harvey's attempt to gain retrospective planning permissions for the two-bedroom home was rejected by Somerset Council, which served an enforcement notice demanding the house's demolition within six months.

Mr Harvey has since appealed against this notice.

A spokesperson from Somerset Council said: 'The Local Planning Authority, having carefully considered the grounds for refusal, consider it expedient and an enforcement notice has been issued requiring the property to be demolished and the land restored back to an agricultural field.

'The enforcement notice was served on 12 October and the owner has until 27 November to appeal the notice to the Planning Inspectorate or demolish the property within six months.'