Work to repair an historic cottage destroyed by fire has been delayed by almost a year due to legal wrangles.

Dawn Dunn, known as Dee, has been temporarily sheltered on site since the historic Smugglers Cottage in Sopley was destroyed by fire more than 20 months ago.

Since then she's been battling to save the 400-year-old property and in July thought her luck had changed when builders started working.

But legal complications with Allianz insurance and solicitors means the funds to rebuild are slow-coming, if at all, and two weeks ago the scaffolding company pulled out of the restoration leaving the property open to the elements once more.

"It's a living nightmare," she said.

"The scaffolding guy said 'I've had enough of this. I either get paid or I take it down'.

"So the builders have now got another company to put it back up. In the interim period we had had the worst thunder storms. If you could see it you would weep.

"It was dry and ready to go and now it's full of water. All the downstairs is wet through. The cottage is over 400-years-old and all the bricks just soak everything up.

"It's 20 months since it burnt down - so little had been done. I was so delighted they were going to get on and do it."

Dee said she will battle on and has even placed a sign outside her gate that reads 'you will not break me'.

She said: "How long do you delay something that has been going on for 20 months? It's excuse after excuse and someone has go to be accountable for this.

"I have looked after it and been its custodian but 20th century bureaucratic clap trap has kept me from restoring my home."

The fire began after a spark from the chimney set alight the thatch, burning down the roof. It engulfed the entire first floor of the building, in February last year.

David Watkins, Allianz property claims manager, said: “The repair to the property involves a number of interested parties which has not always been helpful to the smooth settlement of this claim which is the outcome we aim to achieve for our customers.

“Until recently we were forbidden from communicating directly to Mrs Dunn by the executors of her late husband’s estate. We are pleased to say that this restriction no longer applies and we are in the process of arranging to talk to Mrs Dunn about the issues she has raised. Our view is that this will help considerably as we move forward towards completion of the repair to the property.”