A Tycoon is locked in a legal battle over a swimming pool outhouse he has been told he must pull down.

David Martin, who owns £50 million of property across the globe, is in a bitter battle with Brighton and Hove City Council after building an opulent Roman-style swimming pool at his mansion in Tongdean Avenue, Hove, in 2003.

The city council is now taking legal advice over how it can enforce its own ruling that the building goes against planning laws.

A neighbour, who has complained about the pool building, Saeed Malek-Shahi, leader of Brighton University's Computer Science course, has been in a long-running dispute with Mr Martin over the pool and claims it encroached on his land by about 15 centimetres six inches.

Mr Malek-Shahi said he has approached the tycoon, who is more usually based in Cannes, on a number of occasions and had amicable discussions.

But he said the moment work began on the outhouse and walkway leading from the house he began objecting.

Mr Malek-Shahi said: "I was absolutely fine when he began the work.

"We had a few good talks and he came around to explain what he was doing and the work began.

"But at this point I thought it was just a swimming pool being built. As soon as the outhouse began going up I said to him 'What are you doing? You can't build that'.

"But he just shrugged and said he was going ahead with it anyway."

Mr Martin said he was eager for the row to be resolved one way or another because the mansion was up for sale.

He said: "I've got to get it resolved before it is sold."

He said he has a meeting arranged with council planners next week to discuss a way forward in the row.

But Mr Martin has also indicated he intends to fight those who oppose the pool if necessary, saying: "I have both the time and money to tackle it so that's what I will do."

He has defended the building, saying most people who have seen it cannot understand why neighbours and the council have taken exception to it.

A city council spokesman said: "We understand it is frustrating for the neighbour but we cannot move in now, even though judgements to date have gone in the council's favour, because there is ongoing legal action.

"There has been one planning appeal, then a second planning application and now a second appeal which is outstanding.

"We are taking legal advice on how we proceed following the outcome of the second appeal.

"It's more about how, not whether it can be enforced.

"I think it is important to say the council has consistently challenged the breach of planning regulations in this case and will continue to do so until a satisfactory conclusion is reached."