A FAMILY who were taken to the highest court in the land after using a legal loophole to build a house disguised as a barn in the Green Belt, expect to be made homeless.

Alan Beesley, his wife Sarah and young daughter Ellen will have to leave the Northaw home they love, after losing a landmark case in the Supreme Court against Welwyn Hatfield Council.

Speaking exclusively to the WHT, Mr Beesley said: “I’m not talking to anyone else, only my local paper as I feel this of interest to the people of Welwyn Hatfield.

“I’m not asking for sympathy from anybody, but it’s hurtful to be branded as bad as a murderer in court.”

Case law during the two-day hearing was used to liken Mr Beesley’s conduct to that of a woman who had killed her husband.

But Mr Beesley said this was more like a tax loophole which people exploited daily.

He said: “I’m a law-abiding citizen I haven’t even got a speeding ticket.

“The law as it stands encourages this kind of action.

“It implies you should keep your head down, I kept under the radar.”

Now the case is over, the reality is setting in for the Beesley family.

The 40-year-old said: “We’ll be homeless when we know that the council has to say.

“This is not a development, this is our home.

“We love it so much and it breaks our hearts, my wife is in tears and we’ll have to get rid of my daughter’s Shetland pony.

“It will be a big lifestyle change for us.

“I really don’t know what I’m going to do.”