When businessman Bill Reidy ploughed his savings into renovating a derelict 17th Century hall he believed he had created his dream home.

Wrought iron electric gates, decorative stonework, stained glass windows, stone statues and even a flagpole now adorn Bolton Old Hall.

But Mr Reidy's dream has turned sour after Bradford Council ruled that he did not have planning permission for the alterations at the historic Grade II Listed building which he bought for £120,000 at auction five years ago.

And he has been ordered to rip out £5,000 of double glazed hardwood windows, pull down dozens of stone facades, remove three statues and replace a specially-commissioned stained glass window.

Two stone walls in the garden will also have to go, along with two doors and even the flagpole which holds a flag bearing the Reidy family crest.

The wrought iron grilles over some of the windows and security lighting and cameras at the home in Cheltenham Road, Wrose, also infringe planning rules. Many of the decorative features which have been added to the exterior of the building had been salvaged from the historic Mornington Road Methodist Church in Bingley which Mr Reidy's demolition firm pulled down.

Today he admitted "acting in ignorance" when he failed to seek planning permission for the improvements.

And he said he hoped a compromise could be reached with the planners.

"I have put my life savings and an awful lot of effort into this house," he said.

"It is going to cost at least £20,000 to do all the work. I think it would be so unfair, and all I want is a little bit of common sense."

Mr Reidy said he had ploughed thousands of pounds into improving security at the property, which stands in one-and-a-half acres of grounds, amid fears for his safety - he suffered horrific injuries in a hammer attack by a gang of thugs in 1996.

"If they insist on taking the window grilles down then I will have to sell the house," he said.

But Mr Reidy stressed he wanted to work with planners to find a solution.

"We are complying with the planners," he said. "Since they have got involved we have found out a lot about the history of the building. I just did it without realising I needed permission.

"Everybody in the area is very happy with what we have done because it had been in a right mess.''

But Councillor Allan Hillary (Lib Dem, Bolton) said he was surprised Mr Reidy had not been aware of the regulations governing listed buildings.

"We have to be grateful for what he has done inside which has improved the property greatly, but it is the changing of the character of the property which is a problem," said Coun Hillary.

"He has secured its future but he has to abide by the regulations."

A spokesman for Bradford Council said there was a strict set of guidelines which must be followed.

"We issued a listed building enforcement notice to the owner of this property to undo or alter the work they had done to the outside of the building as it altered the property's character as a listed building," he said.

"Had they applied for consent to carry-out these alterations it would not have been granted.