A builder has been fined for stripping the walls of a listed 18th century property.

In 2016 and 2017 planning permission was granted to extend and convert the first floor of Poppy's Cafe at 309 High Street in Epping, with proposals to replace the shop front also approved.

On August 15 last year Epping Forest District Council was told additional work had been done to the Grade II listed building.

An officer arrived at Poppy's later that day to discover that the walls had been stripped of their historic lath and plaster, ceilings floors and joists had been removed in their entirety and stud walls were gone.

On November 15 Halil Kanteper, of Stoke Newington Road, was prosecuted at Chelmsford Magistrates Court for carrying out the unauthorised work.

He pleaded guilty to the offence and was ordered to pay costs of £500 and a victim surcharge of £120, as well as a fine of £1,200.

Before planning permission was granted in June 2017 Epping Town Council objected in strong terms.

A statement sent to the district council read: "If further internal walls are removed, there will be nothing of the historic building left.

"Some of the structure is 16th century and the already additional load on the building will irreversibly harm its character."

However, the officers concluded that the development would "not be detrimental to the character, appearance or historic significance of the listed building or the wider conservation area."