It's a treehouse! The secret family home hidden behind a cloak of greenery

Every other property in the neat Rugeley cul-de-sac looks tidy and well cared for and residents have been fuming for years about the state of their neighbour's house and garden.

Now the premises in Swallow Close has come under the radar of the local authority, which has taken the owner Kenneth Mould to court for ignoring orders to clean the place up.

Magistrates fined him the maximum £1,000 and ordered him to pay a further £300 in costs and victim surcharges.

Residents were relieved at Cannock Chase District Council's intervention but are not holding their breath that 60-year-old Mr Mould, who lives in the house with his partner, will comply.

The building, including the roof and first-floor windows, is totally hidden under a thick covering of ivy while the front garden is dominated by several large coniferous trees.

Councillor Gordon Alcott, planning leader on Cannock Chase Council, said: "This is an extreme case of non-compliance of a planning order."

Mr Mould, who did not turn up at court, has been given 14 days to pay the court fine.

Planning officer Mazer Aqbal said he has also been ordered to get rid of the ivy from the front of the property, including the windows and doors, to remove all vegetation from his garage roof at the back of the house and to clear the front lawn.

"Basically he has been told to make it look how you would expect a house to look – at the moment you can't tell whether you're looking at the front or the back of the building."

The council said the house was visually detrimental to neighbouring properties and the overall appearance of the area. The problem first came to their attention in 2010. The council served a notice and Mr Mould did "just about enough" to comply with it, said Mr Iqbal.

The case took place at Stafford Magistrates Court on February 6.

Mr Mould was unavailable for comment