Jake Mangel-Wurzel has taken advantage of the early summer sunshine to make some improvements to his folly.

The Lindley eccentric chained himself to the 9ft structure he built at Huddersfield Civic Centre on Thursday after Kirklees Council informed him it had to go.

The 80-year-old says he has been sleeping on a makeshift bed under some concrete steps next to the monument ever since.

And yesterday Jake decided to spruce it up in a bid to get council bosses to change their minds.

Jake Mangle-Wurzel renovates his Folley at the Civic Centre.

He said: “I have stripped it down and completely rebuilt it. I am going to paint it in sombre colours so the council can’t complain.

“When I have finished it will be better than new.

“People have been visiting and saying, ‘Jakey, it must stay’.”

Jake says he plans to renovate the bench placed nearby in what he calls ‘Folly Court’ and a flower bed he says is in need of some TLC.

He said: “I’m going to put some new soil in and re-concrete it and we’re going to plant it up with flowers. I’ll put a sign up saying ‘Folly Court’.

Jake Mangle-Wurzel renovates his Folley at the Civic Centre.

“It will cost me some money but I don’t care because I like being creative.

“It would break my heart for Kirklees to remove it.

“It’s two tonnes of solid stone and concrete.”

Jake said Kirklees officials had visited him at home to give him the news the folly had to be removed - but he added: “It’s not been given to me in writing.

“They don’t understand the workings of the common man.”

Jake said he had massive support from the public of Huddersfield with people bringing him drinks and food.

"I've never been so popular," he said. "I am flavour of the month. I just hope Kirklees will back down."