A Yorkshire pub owner is fighting what could be a potentially costly battle to keep the glazed canopy he installed to give his patrons somewhere to shelter while having a cigarette.

Michael McMahon of the Walkers Arms in Golcar, Huddersfield replaced a removable canopy with a permanent structure due to fears that the original was unsafe in stormy weather, the Huddersfield Examiner reported.

However, local planning officers have refused his retrospective application for consent, despite approving the retractable canopy.

They claim the installation is not in keeping with the rural aesthetic of the area and Mr McMahon could face a bill of thousands of pounds to make the shelter acceptable.

Acting landlady Clair McMahon, who is standing in after Michael had a stroke, explained to the newspaper that the owners thought they would be granted permission after making the change.

"We turned it into a conservatory roof of exactly the same size. We thought we would then get the application in and be okay, but they refused it saying it was not in keeping with the area," she said.

Meanwhile, a financial expert has predicted that the base rate of interest could remain unchanged at 0.5 per cent after next week's Monetary Policy Committee meeting - something that could please those looking for conservatory finance.

Posted by Ashley Ault