The Berlin Wall in London violates planning regulations, the council said

A man who placed a section of the Berlin Wall in his south London garden could be forced to remove it after complaints from neighbours.

Steven Thorpe says he bought the historic castle in Siglekow, Germany before bringing it home.

After installing it at his home in Herne Hill, Thorpe received a notice from Southwark Council for illegal “unauthorised building works”.

The developer of the property did not think he needed a permit to put “artwork” in the garden, but said he was now working with the local authority “on a developer’s basis”.

Thorpe told the BBC he dug a 12ft (3.6m) hole to hold the structure, but now the wall sits 10ft (3.1m) above the ground to reduce the impact.

They also planted greenery around to soften the view of the neighbors.

But in a letter from the council on July 2, Thorpe was told the “construction works” were “unacceptable” and an enforcement notice would be issued.

He said the installation caused damage to neighboring property due to its “over-scale, oppressive sense of enclosure and industrial appearance”.

The notice warned that Thorpe could face fines of up to £20,000 if he did not successfully apply for planning permission.