The Surrey farmer who was ordered to tear down his mock Tudor home has vowed to rebuild his home somewhere else.

Robert Fidler built the house without planning permission, in Salfords, in the Surrey greenbelt, in 2000 and hid it behind hay bales.

At a previous hearing, Mr Fidler,, had been told to tear down his home by 6 June or face jail.

On Monday, Stephen Whale, counsel for Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, told the judge that Mr Fidler had made “very good progress in terms of complying with the requirements of the enforcement notices”, but that he had not “fully complied with the requirements”.

The new Mayor for Reigate & Banstead, Cllr David Powell, has taken up his new role and announced that his theme for his term in office is ‘Love your community’.

Cllr Powell was elected at the full Council meeting last Thursday.

Cllr Powell has been a borough Councillor for Horley since 2012. He is also a Horley Town Councillor and school governor at Horley Infants School.

Having been Deputy Mayor last year, Cllr Powell is looking forward to his year as Mayor.

A fire that occurred outside East Surrey Hospital yesterday has destroyed 3 ambulances.

The blaze started in a parked ambulance outside the east entrance of East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, before spreading to the other two vehicles.

Huge plumes of black smoke could be seen rising into the air at the height of the fire.

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said there were no patients involved and everyone was safe.

Two of Crawley’s best-loved choirs join voices for a special concert at The Hawth to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

Concordia Singers and The Weald Choir will present Joseph Haydn’s Mass in Time of War and Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man, on Saturday 18th June at 7.30pm.

The concert also heralds the merger of the two choirs after more than four decades of friendly musical rivalry to form the Phoenix Choir of Crawley.

Tickets, price £16 adult and £8 child, are available from choir members or through The Hawth Box Office.

The demolition of a mock Tudor castle that was built without planning permission has almost been completed.

Farmer Robert Fidler, who built the house in Salfords in the Surrey greenbelt and hid it behind hay bales for four years, was ordered to tear it down by yesterday or face jail.

Last November, the High Court gave Mr Fidler a three-month suspended sentence and warned him he would be jailed for his “defiance” if the property was not demolished by June.

Footage shows most of the castle has now been demolished.