Farmer tries to dodge planners ... by hiding bungalow in barn

To an ordinary passer-by, the farmer's barn housed nothing more than towering piles of bales of straw.

Yet behind the tightly-bound blocks of dried grass lay one man's extraordinary bid to build himself a home - without anyone finding out.

Amidst a veil of astonishing secrecy, Graham Head spent six years covertly constructing a three-bedroom bungalow camouflaged by carefully placed straw bales.



In a bid to avoid having to get planning permission, his hope was that he could keep the home hidden for so long that the council would have to approve it - even though he was building it on green belt land.

It was a plot that, to his dismay, was to ruin his marriage and leave him facing the prospect of knocking the entire £300,000 construction down.

Yesterday stud farmer Mr Head told of his disappointment after his local council ordered him to tear it down. He claims his bungalow improves the area and is "devastated" by the decision. "This is terrible news," he said.

Update: There's a news video here.