Captain Tom's daughter has turned our village into a laughing stock, say neighbours in the picturesque countryside
28 January 2024, 20:03 | Updated: 30 January 2024, 17:52
Captain Tom Moore's daughter Hannah has been slammed by her neighbours as they accuse her of turning their Bedfordshire village into a laughing stock over her unauthorised spa complex which is set to be torn down.
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Hannah Ingram-Moore's luxury £200,000 spa building in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, will be demolished on February 7 after the Planning Inspectorate ordered the family to tear it down.
The work to get rid of the unauthorised spa is already beginning - with boxes of the possessions belonging to the departed icon Captain Tom seen being taken out by workmen.
Among the items were pictures of the Covid-era hero at Windsor Castle receiving his knighthood and his Sports Personality of the Year Award.
Residents of the sleepy Bedfordshire settlement have slammed the Ingram-Moores for what they have done to their village's reputation.
Frustrated local Ian Knight told the Independent he feels "embarrassed" when people ask about the controversial spa.
Read more: Demolition experts arrive at Captain Tom's daughter's home to start knocking down illegal spa
“We were proud of what he’s done but now we’re the laughing stock.
“They’ve spoilt everything. It was a good thing what he’s done, and now it’s embarrassing.”
Another neighbour on the road said the cotnroversial spa complex had affected their property values because it was an eyesore.
A further resident agreed it was "about time they knocked it down".
They added that Hannah and husband Colin have "never spoken to anybody" about the plans - which further soured their opinions of the pair.
The resident added: “It [the building] was built without permission, it’s ugly, it’s featureless, it doesn’t sit well within the grounds of a listed building [The Old Rectory] and it doesn’t sit well with our housing or those around us."
“The worst bit is that it’s made a mockery of Captain Tom’s name.”
Hannah Ingram-Moore has admitted taking some of the £39million that Captain Tom had raised for the NHS in an interview with Piers Morgan last year.
She said: "We have to accept that we made a decision, and it was probably the wrong one."
Captain Tom Moore became the hero of nation during the pandemic and was knighted by the Queen after raising £39million for the NHS.
But his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore has since been engulfed in a fight over an illegally built spa and pool complex as well as facing fury for pocketing £800k in cash from the sale of his books.
It was only following his death – seven months after his hundredth birthday – his legacy began to become interwoven with the actions of his own family.
So, as Tom’s daughter is ordered to pull down the Captain Tom Foundation spa, here’s a look back at Sir Tom’s family drama – from the gin and tea towel merchandise to the council-ordered demolition:
Captain Tom was about to turn 100 when the Covid lockdown scuppered his birthday plans.
He had recently fallen while unloading the dishwasher and was using a walking frame to take rehabilitative loops of his garden in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.
As the NHS struggled under the pressure of the pandemic, he decided to complete 100 laps of his patio before his 100th birthday to raise money for NHS Charities Together. His initial goal was £1,000. His final fundraising total was £38million.
He became the oldest person to record a number one single when his version of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' with Michael Ball sold 822,000 units.
His 100th birthday on April 30 was celebrated with an RAF flypast and well wishes from The Queen and the Prime Minister.
He was on the cover of GQ and clothes brands printed mini skirts with his face on.
