An Ongar man who erected a working model of a dalek in the front garden of his Aukingford Gardens home is looking for a buyer to take it off his hands.

In the five years since it was built by former engineering teacher Philip Ivey-Ray, the dalek has become a landmark and is especially popular with pupils at the nearby Shelley Primary School.

As well as the ability to fire smoke capsules, the model features a set of working lights activated by a movement-detector, while a built-in tape player and speaker gives it the ability to threaten to "Exterminate" passers-by.

The dalek, which has a solid wood and steel frame atop a concrete base, is the only one in Ongar -- if not the UK -- with its own planning permission.

Mr Ivey-Ray said this was granted following an appeal in which he successfully argued that many Shelley front doorbells were officially in breach of planning regulations.

The rule in question governed the distance that anything added onto a building can protrude from the front it.

An asking price of £2,000 has been fixed but Mr Ivey-Ray is prepared to reduce this by up to £500 if the buyers remove the concrete base.

A member of the supreme race in the universe - currently residing in the Ongar area

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