Man wields shotgun in protest at tycoon’s building works

POLICE have confiscated a shotgun from a resident who threatened to fire at building work in a village being renovated by an internet tycoon.

John Heath, 72, says he became annoyed by the noise, vehicles and disruption caused by works commissioned by Michael Birch, 49, who made his millions in social media in the US – including the social network Bebo, which he sold for $850million in 2008 – before returning to Woolsery in Devon.

Mr Birch bought the local pub, fish and chip shop, village store, manor house, several properties and 90 acres of farmland. But while many villagers welcomed the investment, others complained about the disruption.

Anger boiled over when police confiscated Mr Heath’s licensed shotgun after he was heard threatening to “shoot the electric supply” to stop the noise. He complained: “The buying up of local housing to accommodate staff is reducing the chances of local youngsters getting on the property ladder and staying in the place they were born and brought up.

“It is said this is to regenerate the village, but Woolsery will not be a village when this development is finished, it will be a holiday destination.” The final straw, he said, came when “industrial” fridges were installed at the store.

“The noise can be heard all hours of the night and day,” he said. “I didn’t threaten anyone, I just said I felt like shooting the electrics.”

The Woolsery Project declined to comment. Emily Harmon, the project manager, has said the local community was “important to the project’s ethos”.