MARTIN Yarworth, the man who defied authority and lived in a horsebox as part of his relentless 11-year battle to protest against the loss of his family farm at Newnham, has died, aged 62.

Mr Yarworth, who had cancer, died on December 30 at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

He battled a building society, a bank and then the local authority as he tried to prove his ownership of Underhill Farm.

The property had been repossessed in October 2001 because of an unpaid mortgage – a debt he said he had known nothing about.

Stubbornly refusing to accept court rulings, he said he would live and die in the horsebox he made his home in a field close to the property. Later he clashed with Forest planners who, following a complaint, attempted to remove Mr Yarworth for a breach of planning regulations.

He refused many offers of help, saying he was convinced the only way to prove his claim was to stay put. Supporters and sympathisers frequently tried to persuade him to move to property in the village but he steadfastly remained.

Over the years he received many Christmas cards addressed simply to the horsebox.

Mr Yarworth said he was bitter and angry at the treatment he had received. "It eats away at you," he said.

Close friend Mr John Keddle described Mr Yarworth as a fighter who strongly believed in his cause and had vowed never to give in.

"There were some who thought he was wrong not to accept help. But he was a proud and stubborn man," said Mr Keddle.