Sir Paul McCartney has offered to knock down three buildings in an effort to save a log cabin he built illegally on his private estate.

The ex-Beatle constructed the two-bedroom wooden lodge and pavilion four years ago in the grounds of his Peasmarsh farmhouse to provide seclusion.

But the 64-year-old has failed to get planning permission for the buildings and Rother District Council has demanded they are torn down on the grounds they "harm the intrinsic landscape quality".

In a last-ditch bid to resolve the dispute, Sir Paul, who is desperate to continue using the hideaway as he goes through a messy divorce with Heather Mills, offered to knock down other buildings on his land in East Sussex.

Sir Paul, who reportedly paid £1 million to build the cabin, has offered to bulldoze a three bedroom house on the land.

He has also told the council he is willing to knock down two agricultural barns to improve the appearance of the area.

A supporting statement on behalf of Sir Paul said he needed the "privacy, seclusion and security" that the farmhouse buildings could not provide "due to the proximity of the public footpath that passes through the farmyard".

The statement adds: "The lodge... is used only in lieu of the farmhouse, which will always be vacant when the lodge is occupied. The intention is not to increase the amount of residential property."

Frank Rallings, the council's head of planning, said moves to force Sir Paul to knock the building-down had been put on hold while his latest proposal was considered.

He added: "If the application is refused then action will be taken in issuing the enforcement notice."

Last week the Standard revealed Sir Paul fears that Ms Mills, 38, is filming the break-up of their marriage to portray herself as the victim.

Ms Mills and her team have used video cameras on a series of occasions as tensions over the divorce have increased, with Sir Paul's £825 million fortune at stake.