A BID to protect a Burnham barn with a caravan for security staff has been rejected.

Mangapps Store in Maldon Road applied to Maldon District Council for the renewal of permission for the caravan on the site.

Permission had been granted in 2013 in a bid deter theft.

But planning officers have rejected a second bid to keep the caravan on site.

The applicant claimed the site had been subject to a number of thefts, flytipping and vandalism.

They wanted the caravan to facilitate a night watchman as a deterrent for any burglars that wanted to break-in to the agricultural building and steal equipment.

But officers said there was “limited justification” to allow the caravan to stay.

A report, by case officer Spyros Mouratidis, said: “Whilst the reasoning behind this application is understood the proposed caravan itself would not be used for agricultural purposes, and is not required as an agricultural workers dwelling.

“Furthermore, the site is currently open and easily accessible with no basic security measures in place, i.e. there are no gates or CCTV cameras.

“Moreover, there is only one agricultural building on the site, and whilst it is of a significant size with a footprint of 1250m2 , it is not a fully functioning farmyard or area where a significant amount of agricultural machinery is likely to be stored.”

The proposal has now been rejected.