A family forced to demolish much of the orange brightly-painted wall around their home beside the A140 say the dispute with the planning authority has cost them £100,000.

A family forced to demolish much of the orange brightly-painted wall around their home beside the A140 say the dispute with the planning authority has cost them £100,000.

The Banham family have brought in workmen who erected the wall around their large detached home at Thwaite, near Eye, to start the alterations. The work, which will leave a far smaller wall in its place, comes after the homeowner Gary Banham became locked in a dispute with Mid Suffolk District Council which claimed the wall was put up without planning permission, and was too high and unsuitable for a country house.

But his parents, who live at the property, said they could not understand why their family should have to take the wall down.

His father Garith Banham, who is a pensioner, said: “A lot of properties along the road have walls like mine. It should be the same rule for everyone. I had offered to paint the wall a different colour, then they decided it was too near the road. Taking the wall up and down again has cost £100,000.”

Peter Burrows, service manager for planning and building control at the authority, said: “The council has noted that the work has now started in order to comply with the enforcement notice as upheld by the planning inspector. We are grateful for the co-operation given in relation to this matter.”

The Banhams are now investigating erecting a new wall further from the road, or possibly planting trees.