Doreen Lofthouse, 85, who made her fortune from Fisherman’s Friend, built a scaled-down version of a seaside town’s Beach Lighthouse on unused farmland, near her home in Fleetwood, Lancashire.

But the cough sweet tycoon, who is one of the richest women in the UK, might be forced to cough up the cash so the eyesore can stay with a retrospective planning application, or even face knocking it down.

Work began on the lighthouse in August 2015 and was finished in early November - according to paperwork filed a month after it was built with Wyre Council.

And even though the replica is smaller than the real thing - its dome can now be clearly seen reaching into the sky from nearby roads.

Unimpressed Colin Charnock, a nearby resident to the tycoon’s mansion, has objected to the towering structure, which is made from steel and oak and features balustrades and a decorative clock faces.

In planning documents, he said: “It has spoilt the outlook from our house of natural open fields and trees.

“The lighthouse looks completely out of character and is a blot on the landscape.

“It is in no way in keeping with this semi-rural area and I am struggling to think of the reason or benefit to the community for the construction of a lighthouse in the middle of a field.

“Next to the coastline - yes, that would look okay.”

And despite Doreen pumping millions of pounds into the regeneration of Fleetwood - it still won’t stop her coming under fire from Wyre council.

A spokesman for the council said: “The lighthouse structure constitutes development which requires planning permission, but it was erected without such permission and is therefore unauthorised.

“The council’s attention was drawn to this development by a member of the public - who we cannot identify as it is confidential - and as a normal part of our procedure, where a development is found to require planning permission the person responsible is invited to submit an application as a way of trying to authorise the development retrospectively.

“At this stage no decision or judgement on the acceptability of the development has been made.

“If planning permission is not granted enforcement action to require its removal would follow unless it is taken down voluntarily.”

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