Model railway enthusiast told train set in the loft of his home breaches building regulations

A model railway enthusiast who spent 15 years creating a huge train set in his loft has been told to dismantle it - by health and safety jobsworths. Toy train nut Robert Burdock, who lives at Tweenaways in Buckfastleigh, Devon, was fuming after landlord Teign Housing ordered him to take down the £12,000 set which runs around the perimeter of his attic.

Retired engineer Mr Burdock, 61, who has been running model trains for more than 40 years, was told he'd breached building regulations after a Teign Housing representative came to look at his leaking chimney. The inspector spotted the train set in the attic and he received a letter from the social housing group saying he'd breached regulations about making alterations. But Mr Burdock, who lives with disabled wife Linda, 65, said they are getting steamed up over nothing. "I haven't altered anything," he said. "I've had the model set up since we moved here 15 years ago.


Photos from SWNS.

"I've even improved the attic by strengthening it with fire retardant flooring panels. When the inspector came I'd just come out of hospital after an operation and there was a cross stanchion missing because I was having a new one fitted. That's been replaced now - none of the joists have been moved at all. I've been doing this most of my life - I know what I'm doing. I come up here twice a week on average for a couple of hours. There are thousands of people like me across the country. Is this going to affect them too? It's a huge overreaction."

Paul Davies, Teign Housing’s head of asset management, said: “It is part of our tenancy agreement that tenants must seek permission to make any alterations to our properties so that we can make sure it is safe and meets the required building regulations. We have written to Mr Burdock to explain that all items in the loft space must be removed so that we can gain access and reinstate the timber members to ensure the property is safe. Once this work has been done, we will look at ways for Mr Burdock’s train set to be accommodated safely.”