An 85-year-old widower is facing a bill from Bradford City Council for the demolition of a wall put up 18 years ago.

And the Council has been accused of "bully boy tactics" and wasting resources over the wall in a cul-de-sac in Idle.

Dennis Murgatroyd says he would be unable to pay the cost of the demolition ordered after a complaint from a resident.

He had the wall built on the cobbled road outside the door of his home in Hampton Place on the day his wife Laura died in June, 1982.

"I went to the Council first and asked if any planning permission was needed and they wrote saying no because it wasn't on a public highway," he said.

"Now they say it must come down even though a planning officer and a councillor came round to look at it in 1985 and they didn't find any problems with it. I can't afford to pay for it - I haven't got any money except my pension."

Liberal Democrat ward councilor Jeanette Sunderland said: "This is just bully boy tactics on the part of the Council."

Councillor Sunderland has written to the Council asking it to delay demolition.

In her letter she said: "I have to ask you what will be gained by forcing him to knock down this wall that has now been in existence for 17 years with the full knowledge of the Council."

A Council spokesman said: "Following renewed complaints about the positioning of the wall on the highway, we are now required to enforce the law, which means a notice has been served on Mr Murgatroyd.

"We appreciate the concerns raised by him and we are considering whether it is at all possible to avoid knocking it down."

Council executive member for traffic and planning Councillor Latiff Darr said the authority had no option but to act if a complaint was received.

But he added: "I will investigate the matter and if there has been a mistake I will make sure the gentleman gets a letter of apology.

"If he has it in writing that he didn't need permission I don't think there should be any problem that the wall can stay."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.