Grieving father devastated after being ordered to tear down summerhouse he built in memory of his dead son

Bruce Clegg, 49, threw himself into the DIY project to cope with the death of son Nathaniel Hemingway-Clegg, 20, from type one diabetes complications.

The 16-square-metre wooden structure cost around £1,750 to build and sits in the back garden of his semi-detached council-owned house.

It is kitted out with a bar named after Nathaniel and features family photos and his favourite Harry Potter memorabilia.

But a neighbour complained about "antisocial behaviour" prompting a site visit from Wakefield District Housing, and he was ordered to tear it down, piece by piece.

Workers said it was "unsafe" and too close to the neighbour's fence, despite warehouse worker Bruce pleading it was vital to his grief recovery.

Father-of-three Bruce said he's preparing to rip it apart - but fears it will leave him without anywhere to safely and happily remember his son.

Bruce, from Wakefield, said: "Losing a child is the worst thing that can ever happen to a person - Nathaniel was a great guy with a good heart.

"That's why I wanted to build the summerhouse in his memory - it is a place to go to have a sit down with a drink, look at some photographs, and remember him.

"When any of us go in there, it makes us feel like he's still around. I began building the summerhouse to deal with the grief of losing Nathaniel and it never even occurred to me we'd need permissions because I was just thinking of my son.

"Now it seems we're going to have to start again from scratch, or lose the thing which has brought my family so much comfort altogether. We need the summerhouse to help us through this tough time - it has helped me to stay strong for my kids."

Bruce began building the memorial summerhouse in June of 2020, a month after losing his eldest son.

Despite having been diagnosed with diabetes aged just one, Bruce said Nathaniel, a trainee chef, sometimes struggled to control the condition as he grew older.