AN ENGLISHMAN'S home is his castle, goes the saying and Richard Sharp made his in a coppice near Micheldever.

The homeless handyman built a wooden shed from recycled timber complete with battlements and happily lived in it and a caravan on a disused plot beside the A30 for about six years.

But he has been twice evicted by landowner Hampshire County Council after Winchester City Council as the local planning authority insisted he did not have permission to be there.

Now Romsey MP Sandra Gidley has criticised council planners "that sent the jack boots in."

The 59-year-old, originally from Kent, makes garden furniture out of scrap wood. Dozens of people have bought sheds, chicken coops, rabbit hutches, play castles and even a galleon he created.

And after several years of squatting on the plot, he's now become well known to locals who employ him to do odd jobs. Some of his customers even wrote to a county court judge asking he be allowed to stay.

One letter from a middle class resident of Wonston described him as a "much-loved member of the community."

However city council chiefs threatened to take enforcement action against the county council if it did not evict Mr Sharp.

Planning officers said the site was a health hazard as there was no running water or toilet and he was occupying the land without consent of the owner.

Mr Sharp was first evicted in 2006 and the site blocked off but he managed to get back on the land.

Since he was evicted for the second time last August his "castle" has been vandalised, rubbish dumped on the land and a tree cut down. Mr Sharp, said: "It's a disgusting mess now. I am so disappointed."

Council officials have discussed re-housing Mr Sharp, but he said: "There is no way I afford to live in a house without being subsidised by the taxpayer.

"If I can be self-sufficient and get on with my life why would I want other people to pay my rent and rates? There are enough people scrounging off the system already."

Mr Sharp described his style of living as "very basic" but said he kept the site tidy, composed his waste and got water from a local farmer.

He said: "I recycled wood. Everyone was happy with me except Winchester City Council planning department."

Liberal Democrat MP Mrs Gidley said: "This is an individual who is not doing any harm to anyone and the city council has sent the jack boots in.

"Clearly you can't have everyone living wherever they want as it would be anarchy, but in this particular case, if the council had wanted, they could have tried to find a compromise solution."

"I think it is sad they could not find a site for him that he could look after and keep his links with the local community."

Army officer widow Patricia Coleman, 81, who lives in Barton Stacey, has known Mr Sharp for years and contacted Mrs Gidley on his behalf.

The great-grandmother said: "Richard has come to be of use and is well-liked by so many people who live locally.

"I do feel strongly about it because he is being harassed and he has nowhere to go."

A city council spokesman said: "We received a complaint that Mr Sharp had moved back onto the site after having being moved off once before.

"As landowners, Hampshire County Council was asked to take action and has done so.

"The city council is sympathetic to Mr Sharp's situation but does not consider this to be an appropriate location for a traveller's site.

"The city council does have a duty to enforce planning rules and be careful not to make exceptions that can set a precedent for the future."