Bird-loving footballer Alan Shearer had his neighbour in a flap when he tried to scupper his plans for a dream home.

The former England captain complained to council chiefs that a house earmarked yards from his home in Northumberland would endanger local wildlife.

The Newcastle striker and his wife, Lainya, employed solicitors when they found out that Alan Jackson wanted to build a four-bedroom bungalow next to their £1.5m mansion on the exclusive Darras Hall estate, at Ponteland.

They argued that wildlife in the area would be adversely affected.

But Mr Jackson won his battle to build his home after councillors heard that outline planning permission dating back to 1975 existed for the site, a former tip.

A meeting of Castle Morpeth Council's development services and licensing committee gave the go-ahead, despite a plea from the Shearers.

Their solicitor, Newcastle-based Winskell and Winskell, asked for their letter of objection on behalf of their clients to be placed before the planning committee.

It said: "This application runs contrary to the council's reported view that the special character of this part of Ponteland should be protected, and any development would be detrimental not only to the landscape but also to the environment and wildlife of the area."

The 33-year-old striker is known to jealously guard his privacy. He and his family moved to Darras Hall in 1998 after living on the exclusive Wynyard Estate, on Teesside.