Commissioners have praised the village’s community spirit after a man was burned at the stake for building a shed without planning permission.“Our village is already overdeveloped and the poor infrastructure can’t possibly cope – our roads are already jammed, our shop is overloaded and our children are swollen,” said a  spokesman.

“This sends a clear message that Michael won’t accept change of any sort, in any guise, from any source.”

A court order’s been granted allowing the local authority to demolish the shed with extreme prejudice.