A former Nato minesweeper converted into a couple's floating home can stay put, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has ruled.

Owners Fred and Polly Cole brought the German-built Fische into the River Adur estuary as a replacement for their former home, the motor torpedo boat Luna Sea, which sank during storms in 2003.

They became caught up in a battle to keep Fische as their home following complaints from residents that the vessel overlooks their houses, is too big for its mooring, damages their privacy and spoils their views.

But the Coles celebrated yesterday after learning they had won their appeal against Adur District Council's decision to revoke planning permission and issue an enforcement order requiring them to remove the Schutze class minesweeper from its mooring at Riverbank, Shoreham.

Mr Cole, 59, said: "We are absolutely over the moon.

"After two years of wrangling with the council, now we can get on with renovating the boat. Before we didn't know if we were going to keep the boat so there was no point in spending the money.

"This case was handled in a rubbish way. It should never have gone to an inquiry. The Fische is a beautiful, sleek boat and deserves to be here. She is part of the unique heritage of Shoreham Harbour."

Mrs Cole, who celebrated her 52nd birthday on Sunday, said: "This decision has been a long time coming and couldn't have been a better birthday present. Hopefully, the decision will stand and we can get on with the rest of our lives."

The council's case was that it had been misled into giving permission to moor the vessel because a diagram submitted by the Coles with their planning application was not drawn to scale.

The Coles then believed the Fische to be 44m long and not the 47m she actually is. Their case was that her actual size did not matter as long as she fitted within the mooring.

Compromise proposals put forward at the inquiry by the council included reducing the length of Fische by four metres or, alternatively, turning the boat around so the bow faces the river instead of the houses.

Taking advice from the planning inspector, Mr Prescott ruled that the Coles merely have to move the jetty to the east side, away from the houses in River Close.

A spokeswoman for the council said: "We have not got the report yet. Until we have, we can't comment."

The Coles, who live with sons Jake and Toby, will hold a party in August to celebrate 25 years' living at Riverbank.