Residents of one of Britain's most exclusive seaside neighbourhoods have turned on a homeowner after he erected a towering 7ft concrete wall they say resembles the Berlin Wall.

Neighbours in the affluent Sandbanks enclave claim the huge grey structure has transformed the street scene and left the area looking more like 'something from the Soviet Union-era' than the leafy coastal suburb it once was.

The 75ft-long wall was built outside Ken Lynch's detached property in the sought-after Lilliput area of Poole, Dorset, replacing a wooden slatted fence that locals say was far more in keeping with the neighbourhood.

The imposing barrier now forms part of a major redevelopment of the corner plot, which was formerly a quaint bungalow with a colourful front garden and low brick wall that allowed passers-by to admire its herbaceous borders.

Planning permission had previously been granted to convert the bungalow into a two-storey home with a large rear extension, with the property now estimated to be worth around £1million.

But the concrete wall itself is so large it requires separate planning permission - meaning Mr Lynch has had to submit a retrospective application to BCP Council after it was already built.

Neighbours have since lodged objections urging planners to reject the scheme, raising fears the controversial wall could set a precedent for other homeowners in the wealthy area.

Local resident Annabel Hobson, 67, a retired accounts clerk, said she was horrified when she first saw the wall.

She said it is too imposing on the street scene and gives the impression the owners are barricading themselves in.

She said: 'I walk my dog past the wall every day and it looks like the Berlin Wall.

'There used to be a wooden slatted fence, which was nice on the eye, but they have replaced it with an eyesore.

'When you walk past the wall it feels like it is leaning on you and the path has narrowed.

'It looks like they are trying to barricade themselves in and it is not in keeping with the area.

'I feel sorry for the people opposite who come out of their house and that is the first thing they see.

'It says in our deeds of covenant that walls must have the look of the area.

'I assumed they had planning permission so when I learnt they were applying retrospectively I was shocked.

'I do hope planners will ask for it to be taken down and permission is not granted, as in the future, other property owners will feel they too can erect walls to barricade themselves in.'

Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said the wall was 'horrible' to look at and a downgrade on the old wooden fence.

Richard Spragg said the height of the wall makes it 'visually intrusive and overly dominant in the street and creates an enclosed and oppressive appearance.'

Mr Lynch has been approached for comment.