A 15-year-old boy devastated at the prospect of losing his family home has attempted to take his own life.

Daniel Noddings' father, Colin, yesterday said the pressure of knowing their mobile home in Billericay would have to be pulled down had proved too much for his son.

For the past four days Daniel, a former Billericay School pupil, has been under observation at Basildon Hospital after he took between ten and 20 white tablets given to him by another youth.

Mr Noddings, 48, failed to comply with two notices, served by Basildon Council after he built a mobile home without planning permission on a piece of land he owns in Break Egg Hill, Billericay.

He was last month found guilty of breaking planning laws by a Southend Crown Court jury and now fears he may be sent to prison.

Daniel was picked up by police and taken home to his father when he was found in a drugged-up state in the South Green area.

He was hallucinating and said he could see people that didn't exist in the room.

Mr Noddings took his son to hospital after he became disturbed about his behaviour and now understands Daniel took the pills in an attempt to cause himself harm.

Mr Noddings, said: "Daniel has said he doesn't want to move or to be split up from his older brothers.

"I feel as if the judge just wants to lock me up for living on my own land and putting a roof over my son's head.

"At one point the doctors in the hospital said they didn't know if Daniel was going to be brain-damaged."

Last month Southend Crown Court heard Mr Noddings and his ex-wife bought the land in 1994 with the intention of building a house.

When the marriage broke down in 1997 they sold the house they shared.

Mr Noddings said it was months before his £25,000 share was given to him by his wife and the family lived temporarily in two caravans.

These were later replaced by the more permanent mobile home for which planning permission was sought, but refused after appeal.

At the hearing Mr Noddings, said: "I did go to the council to find out about housing but I was told the waiting list was eight years.

"I went to the homeless unit but they said to come back when I had actually been evicted.

"I wasn't going to put me and my son on the street."

He was found guilty on both counts of breach of enforcement notices and will be sentenced on September 3.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Noddings, said: "Daniel was expelled from Billericay School and I have to be at home now because he has a home tutor.

"Before all this he was a happy-go-lucky kid and now he's gone right off the rails and is taking drugs. I've been warned I could go to prison.

"There's an eight-year waiting list for a council place in Billericay and we wouldn't get a house for all of us together as my two older boys are over 18."

A spokesman for Basildon Council said it would be inappropriate to comment while legal proceedings were ongoing.

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