An appeal to save proposals for a converted vintage fire engine to be used as holiday accommodation has been turned down.

Graham Teasdale, from Threlkeld, applied to the Lake District National Park Authority for retrospective permission for the fire engine at Doddick Farm but the plans were rejected on February 11 last year.

The authority's planning officers had recommended approval of the application but members of the development control committee voted to reject it.

An appeal against the decision was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on July 29 but has now been dismissed.

A planning inspector visited the site in December.

A report from the inspector said a 'large box-like living accommodation component' had been 'crudely' inserted between the two halves of the fire engine.

They added: "Furthermore, the unit’s fairly exposed location, combined with its unusual shape and highly contrasting bright colour, cause it to be readily visible and unduly noticeable in the landscape."

The inspector said the construction 'significantly harms the character and appearance of the surrounding area'.

Mr Teasdale claimed that the unit was a 'vital source of income to the farm' and supported local tourism, the report added.