Yahoo News Millionaire jailed for illegally building giant man cave could face jail again
Accountant Graham Wildin, 70, was sent to prison for repeatedly refusing to knock down the extension - which he did not have permission for before building.
A millionaire who illegally built "Britain's biggest man cave" could be facing jail again as his latest court deadline expired – with neighbours dubbing him an "arrogant little twerp".
Accountant Graham Wildin, 70, was sent to prison for repeatedly refusing to knock down the extension, which he did not have permission for before building.
He built the 10,000 sq ft leisure complex, which has a bowling alley, casino and a cinema at the back of his home without applying for planning permission from Forest of Dean District Council (FODCC).
Wildin, of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, was jailed last year for failing to comply with a court order to decommission the building, after an eight year battle to keep it.
He was given 18 weeks from his release from prison to comply with a previous court order to make the giant leisure complex unusable by "soft stripping" the inside – the deadline expired last Friday – 27 January.
It is unclear if any work has been done, although removals vans were spotted there in recent weeks.
However if it is not fully stripped he may be sent back to prison again.
However, officials could delay a decision until Wildin's appeal against the prison term at Court of Appeal on 1 March.
Last April a company owned by members of Wildin's family acquired the properties that surround the building in a bid to save the vast leisure complex.
After initially moving his classic car collection onto the street to create "parking chaos" it emerged that he purchased neighbouring land and property for his family in order to block any attempts by the council to have it forcibly removed.
Posting online, social media users were scathing about Wildin's repeated refusal to knock the building down.
One said: "How much is this man costing the taxpayer?"
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Another said: "I blasted well hope so, arrogant little twerp!"
One added: "Tick tock....knock, knock...it down."
But others had sympathy with him.
One wrote: "Poor sod - why cant people just leave him alone."
An FODDC spokesman said: “This is an ongoing legal matter and the council will continue to pursue it.”
Wildin was approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
