A couple living in their Isle of Wight holiday home have been ordered to leave, after losing an appeal against a council decision.

It means the pair, who own the converted stable block on Appleford Lane, Whitwell, have six months to move out.

Planning permission to turn the building into a holiday unit was granted in 2016.

But the owners were found to have breached planning conditions when they began living there permanently in 2018. At the time, they said they had no other place to live.

The breach led to the Isle of Wight Council serving an Enforcement Notice to stop them living there, which was appealed.

Following a site visit in March, the Government's Planning Inspectorate upheld the council's decision.

It found the location was not suitable for a permanent home, due to lack of access to services and facilities and the loss of a high-quality holiday home.

In findings published by the inspectorate, it was said that the owners felt using the holiday accommodation for holiday purposes was not viable and that it should be used as a dwelling.

The report said the couple have been trying to sell the building to buy their own permanent residence.

It is currently on the market for £595,000 and has been since January 2019, although the inspectorate said the price is "is likely to be too high".

The inspectorate said it was confident the couple would not be left homeless as they rent out a flat in Newport.

They had also sold their property in France in 2018, the inspectorate said, meaning they likely had sufficient funds to at least rent another property in the meantime.

Councillor Paul Fuller, cabinet member for planning, said: "Planning conditions and their compliance within our Island is so important.

"To protect the Island's demand for high-quality holiday accommodation, and the need for housing to be located in sustainable locations is paramount for our Island’s economy."

The ruling means the couple must move out by November 2023.