A long-running legal battle over a cafe built without planning permission is to be heard at Crown Court.

The owners of Fed and Watered, based at the Jack and Jo's Plant Nurseries in Ryton, Gateshead, have been locked in a dispute with Gateshead Council.

The authority issued an enforcement notice in May 2023 ordering that the cafe and surrounding structures be demolished, after retrospective planning applications for the site were rejected.

At South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, mother and daughter Moira and Joanne Stanton denied being in breach of the order by failing to tear down the buildings.

Joanne Stanton, 54, of Hedgefield Cottages in Ryton, pleaded not guilty to being in contravention of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Her mother, 78-year-old Moira Stanton of Middle Hedgefield Farm, also entered a not guilty plea to the same charge, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Both requested their case be heard at Crown Court for trial and they are due to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on 6 May.

Ian Stanton, 72, also of Middle Hedgefield Farm, was due to appear in court on the same charge but was unable to attend on medical grounds and it was requested his case be deferred to a later date.