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The owner of a £15m property in an exclusive part of Kensington has painted her property in a "beach hut-style" - with red and white stripes - after falling out with neighbours.

Zipporah Lisle-Mainwaring is reported to have given her home the eye-catching make-over a couple of weeks ago after neighbours objected to her building a two-storey basement, including a swimming pool.

The home, on cobbled South End, was previously plain white and is surrounded by beautiful period houses.

One neighbour, who lives opposite the property, said no-one he knew in the area liked the new look.

The man, who did not wish to be named, said: “I don’t like it.

“It was painted a few weeks ago. I came home from work and thought Sunderland or Southampton football team had moved in!

“Neither my wife or myself were particularly amused by it.

"Everyone I know is disappointed that this has happened. I know no-one that likes it and it doesn’t enhance the area.”

The £15m 'beach hut-style' property in Kensington swhich was left neighbours bemused and angry

Saskia Moyle, 18, an A-level student at Latymer School, who lives opposite, said: “I got home a few weeks ago at night and there were just two guys looking a bit sheepish up a ladder painting the house red and white.

“It was quite funny they looked so embarrassed when they saw me. The house was all stripy and looked like it was glowing in the dark.

“It’s a real monstrosity - it sounds bad to say that it isn’t very Kensington but it just looks so weird. It’s like a cross between a beach hut and a circus.

She continued: “My dad really doesn’t like it, he thinks it's an absolute monstrosity.

“It sounds bad to say it brings down the neighbourhood but quite a few tourists have been turning up to have a look.

“This whole road has basically been united in its hatred of that house.”

Among the ‘tourists’ looking at it on Wednesday afternoon was an Australian woman working in Kensington. She said: “I love it. It’s fun and it’s different. All the other houses around here are just white.”

A Kensington & Chelsea Council spokesman said: “Painting of this building does not require planning permission from the council as it is automatically granted by national legislation.”

The property is currently empty.