PENSIONER Gordon Bird, who built a log store on his property in Eastern Way, Ruspidge, has been ordered to give it the chop.

Mr Bird, 86, has received a brusque letter from Forest of Dean District Council’s planning enforcement team giving him 28 days to remove the hut or face legal action.

“The letter says I am in breach of planning control but it gives no details of what exactly I am in breach of,” Gordon said.

“The hut is entirely on my property, nowhere near the boundary and none of the neighbours have complained. In fact they have all been very supportive.

“It is doing absolutely no harm whatsoever. I have lived here for 37 years and I have no plans to take it down.”

Gordon is also being supported by councillors Max Coborn and Graham Morgan.

Cllr Coborn said: “I have tried to get in touch with the planning department but they don’t return my calls. If this goes through, every shed in the Forest will have to come down.”

Cllr Morgan said: “There are some really big breaches of planning around the Forest but Gordon is a soft target without the resources for a court battle. It’s easy to pick on him.”

A spokesman for the Forest of Dean District Council said: “When enforcement cases are live, we cannot comment on the details. We can, however, confirm that we have sent an initial letter, not served a formal enforcement notice, regarding the construction of a large (roughly 8-9ft) wood shed, adjacent to the highway, which does not have planning permission. We are more than happy to work with Mr Bird to resolve the situation.”