A PENSIONER may have to pay up to £4,000 after building a garage on land that did not belong to him.

Former soldier Bill Lonsdale built the garage on land, which he believed belonged to him, eight years ago.

But the 78-year-old built on a plot belonging to the then North West Water, now United Utilities.

And when it sold the land to housing developers Morris Homes for a new estate, the mistake came to light.

Mr Lonsdale, who bought his Ash Lane house in Great Harwood from North West Water, intended to fight the demand until he was told he was wrong.

He realised his blunder only when he contacted solicitors Watson's in Darwen, who had the land measured.

But he still says some of the blame is with United Utilities, which, he claims, fenced off the land.

Although he admits the deeds of the land show that the garage is not on his land, he built it on his side of the fence.

A spokesman for United Utilities said they would investigate.

Solicitor Peter Lamster, who specialised in land conveyance, said: "It would appear to me that there has been a genuine mistake by Mr Lonsdale.

"The garage has not been built on his land. It's a pity it didn't come to light when North West Water fenced the area. If they had checked their deeds they would have realised the fence was in the wrong place."

Bill, who served with the 51st Highland Division in the Second World War, has reluctantly accepted the mistakeand is now happy the matter has been concluded.

When he was planning his battle strategy against the developers, the stress of it was making him ill. He was recently hospitalised with heart problems.

He said: "I fully accept that the land is theirs and in a way I'm feeling relieved.

"My mind is settled now that the matter is over and the ownership of the land has been properly recorded. I am in negotiation with Morris Homes about the land.

"It's about £4,000, which is an awful lot of money for an OAP but in the end I think I will benefit.

"The new housing estate greatly enhances the area.

"I never looked at the deeds because it didn't seem necessary, and if North West Water had not pegged the fence where they did I would not have built the garage there."

A spokesman for Mersey-based Morris Homes said: "We visited Mr Lonsdale who acknowledged the land was ours.

"As a gesture of goodwill we have offered to sell him the land at market price, which we cannot disclose."