Furious Dibnah Is Fined over Smoke That Led to Ire; NEIGHBOUR SHOPPED ME BECAUSE OF EIGHT-YEAR FEUD, SAYS STEEPLEJACK

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Byline: ANDREW LOUDON

HE has demolished belching chimneys for 30 years.

But yesterday Fred Dibnah, Britain's best-known steeplejack, was fuming after being fined [pounds sterling]100 for letting woodsmoke billow from a furnace in his garden.

The 59-year-old former TV personality blamed a feud with a neighbour for landing him before magistrates in his home town of Bolton.

His solicitor Steve Calderbank said Frank Simon, who lives two doors from Mr Dibnah, had created an 'intolerable situation' with incessant complaints.

When council officials took no action, he complained about them too, but the local government ombudsman later cleared …