A DEVASTATED three- year-old has had his beloved car snatched away by council chiefs.

Jordan Nixon had been the envy of his friends, sitting at the wheel of a real-life car in his own garden.

Sarah Nixon, mum of the car-mad toddler from Foxlow Avenue, Rawthorpe, bought him a J-reg Ford Fiesta XR2i in March.

Little Jordan spent all summer playing in his back garden where the car - which had been modified to make it safe for him to play in - was out of sight of passers-by.

But now his mum has been forced to have the car towed away, after Kirklees Council officials stepped in.

The family got a letter from the Dalton Housing Office demanding the prized hot hatchback be moved.

Sarah, 22, said: "I was shocked when I read the letter saying we had to move the car.

"It was in the back garden, which is surrounded by a fence so no-one can see it. As it is in the back garden you can't see it from the road either.

"Soon after I had got the letter a woman from the council came round to see if we had moved it.

"The letter said cars could not be kept in people's gardens for spare parts, so I explained the car was for my son to play in.

"But they just said I had to shift it. Jordan was devastated."

So single mum Sarah - who also has a four-month-old baby, Harvey - was forced to break Jordan's heart.

"I did not know what to tell him," she said. "I knew he would be so upset.

"I decided to send him to my sister's house so we could move it. When he came home I had to tell him someone had stolen it.

"Since then he has been crying and asking everyone he sees if they have seen his car. He has spent hours playing in it and it has caused no bother.

"Someone must have reported it to the council, but I can't understand why they had a problem."

But Kirklees Council has stood by the decision.

Dalton Area Housing manager Diane Hobson said: "We asked Ms Nixon to remove the car from her garden because she was breaching her tenancy agreement by having it there.

"The car looked dilapidated, as it had no windows and no wheels.

"Ms Nixon didn't mention anything about it being a toy. In such a condition, it could have posed a real hazard to a young child.

"Tenants can't keep unroadworthy, untaxed cars on their property. They must also keep cars on paved areas, not in gardens.

"These rules are for the benefit of all tenants, because they're designed to help keep homes and estates looking presentable."