It’s bad newts! Rare breed endangering Ed’s plan for wedding day

ED SHEERAN’S extravagant plan to marry childhood sweetheart Cheery Seaborn in the grounds of his sprawling English home is said to be under threat thanks to a rare breed of newt.

The singer, 27, who announced his engagement to Cherry, 24, in January, submitted plans to build a private flint chapel at his rural home in Sussex as he prepares for an intimate wedding in front of a select group of close family and friends.

But building work will disrupt the collection of great crested newts, a type commonly found across Europe and central Asia, occupying his garden pond, reports state.

It is claimed that a ‘full ecological survey’ has been demanded, with sources claiming the notoriously private star has shown a ‘total disregard to the local ecology’ by pushing ahead with plans to build his chapel.

Once constructed, the building – to be designed by architects who have worked on Windsor Castle – will stand at an imposing 10 metres tall and will be able to hold an intimate congregation of up to 24 people.

The venue, designed in the form of a small early Suffolk round tower church, would be perfect for the couple to exchange vows away from prying eyes, as they have been known to fiercely guard their privacy.

A source revealed: ‘Even though Ed is one of the world’s biggest stars, he does like to do things privately, like his engagement.

‘Having his wedding on his own land would mean they could celebrate their big day with just their nearest and dearest and then head back to the main house for a big party after.’ In his planning application, lodged in the name of Cherry’s architect father Matthew Seaborn, the singer said he wanted to build the flint chapel as a place to ‘retreat for contemplation and prayer’.

Sheeran met Cherry when they were both students at Thomas Mills High School in Suffolk, and the young Ed had a crush on the pretty brunette. But they went their separate ways when Cherry went to study at Duke University in North Carolina. They did not begin dating until long after, in 2015, when she was working on Wall Street.

The singer announced his engagement with an Instagram photo of himself and Cherry in January, revealing that he proposed last year but had chosen to keep the news private initially.

Captioning the photograph, he wrote: ‘Got myself a fiancée just before new year. We are very happy and in love, and our cats are chuffed as well xx.’