Spitfire shot down in battle of Croydon

A BUSINESSMAN in conflict with his council has been given 10 days to remove a Spitfire clamped to the roof of his south London home.

An injunction served on John Gladden, 43, of Croydon, also bars him from putting up other sculptures.

However, a Centurian tank and 14ft glass fibre marlin fish cannot be removed from his garden because they are still the subject of an appeal to the Department of the Environment following Croydon council's move to ban the objects in March.

Speaking after yesterday's hearing at Wallington County Court, Mr Gladden said he would carry on his campaign. 'This is just the beginning. I'm going to take this to the limit.

'I've got 30 friends in the area who support me and are willing to put sculptures on their own houses.'

Mr Gladden, whose home in Norbury has become a local attraction, said he was considering an appeal against yesterday's injunction.

His journey to court was delayed by an hour and a half because his bizarre convoy, which included lorries carrying a small French tank, a 20ft-tall inflatable model of Winston Churchill and a 30ft rocket launcher, was pulled over by police in Crystal Palace, south London.