An Englishman's Home is his Castle

Although that might not be quite true any more:

A retired engineer nicknamed “Mole Man”, because of his fondness for burrowing tunnels under his home, has been ordered to pay almost £300,000 to the local council after his hobby nearly caused his house to collapse.

William Lyttle, 77, spent 40 years excavating a maze of tunnels beneath his 20-room Victorian property in Hackney, East London, before the council intervened.

The £300,000 charge, representing the cost of repairs carried out by the council, is believed to be the highest in a “public nuisance” case.

Now I agree, pretty odd behaviour, symbolic of some larger problem perhaps. But why does the Council need to step in?

The London Borough of Hackney had Mr Lyttle evicted in 2006 so council workmen could move in and save the house and a neighbouring property. The pavement outside was also affected.

Now that bit I understand: he's damaging not just his own property, but those of others.

He told the court: “Mr Lyttle has been obstructive, has issued numerous applications in the County Court and the Royal Courts of Justice over the last five years, and has caused the council to incur unnecessary expenses abating a nuisance he has created, because he fails to use his land in a reasonable manner.”

And that's the bit I don't. Do no harm to the property of others, certainly, but when did this legal requirement to use your own property in a "reasonable manner" come from? If it's mine, it's mine to do with as I wish, surely?

Or has that idea of private property been abolished now?