Bench made in honour of Captain Tom Moore all that remains after daughter's £200,000 unauthorised spa demolished
12 February 2024, 15:58 | Updated: 12 February 2024, 16:02
A metal bench made in honour of Captain Tom’s 100th birthday is all that remains after his daughter’s unauthorised spa was demolished.
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The £200,000 unauthorised spa was demolished last week as the deadline to tear down the building which breached planning laws reached its last day.
Aerial photos now show that the bench made in honour of the pandemic hero's milestone birthday is the only item to remain beside the patch of mud where the spa complex used to be.
Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband had the spa complex demolished at their £1.2 million property in Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire.
During the demolition last week, a number of Sir Captain Tom’s prized possessions were spotted as they were cleared out of the building, including his Guinness Book of Records certificate, paintings, and a model aircraft.
His daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, and her husband, Colin, lost an appeal against an order to remove the building in the grounds of their £1.2m home after a hearing in October.
The pair had initially been given permission to put up a ‘Captain Tom Foundation Building' but instead opted for a larger structure with a spa pool.
They were given three months to remove the property, the final deadline was February 7.
Workmen were seen removing roof tiles, one at a time, as well as moving out gym equipment and awards.
Captain Tom raised almost £40 million for NHS charities during the Covid pandemic by walking around his garden 100 times during the first lockdown in the spring of 2020.
He was later knighted by the Queen and died in February 2021.
Neighbour Jilly Bozdogan, 70, said of the demolition last week: "The tiles are coming off fast and furious. I am glad they are finally getting on with it. It has been a long drawn-out saga.
"My garden backs onto it and it is an eyesore. I have had to plant trees to try to block it out."
His family set up the Captain Tom Foundation, but it is due to close after a Charity Commission probe is concluded.
It launched a statutory inquiry into the charity last year over decisions that "may have generated a significant profit" for a company run by the couple.
