Businessman blames helicopter noise for collapse of property sale to Tess Daly

Norman Peires tells a court that the Strictly Come Dancing presenter was 'horrified' by the noise and said she could not live near aerodrome.

A wealthy businessman has complained that "shattering" helicopter noise has dashed his hopes of selling his £4 million home to Strictly Come Dancing presenter, Tess Daly, and her husband, Vernon Kay.

Norman Peires and his wife Lorna claim the din of chopper blades coming from a nearby aerodrome has blighted their happiness and are now claiming £700,000 damages.

The couple ploughed £1.5million into revamping Shepherds Holt, a six-bedroom mansion in leafy Denham, Bucks, after they purchased it in 2006.

Norman and Lorna Peires at the High Court  Photo: NEV AYLING

Mrs Peires, 69, told the High Court: "we made that house exactly the way we wanted it. We wanted to live there for ever".

But their dreams soured when relaxing in the garden and afternoon tennis parties had to compete with the roar of helicopters from nearby Denham Aerodrome, the court heard.

The couple ended up putting Shepherd's Holt on the market as the noise was "driving us crazy", said Mrs Peires, who once took flying lessons at the aerodrome.

Ms Daly and Mr Kay had been very keen on buying the property - until they stepped out into the garden, said Mr Peires.

"Tess Daly said later that they loved our house but that they couldn't live with those helicopters", Mr Peires added.

Another thwarted potential buyer was TV sports broadcaster, Gabby Logan.

Mr Peires said he and his wife had vacated the house so it could be "free of vendors" for her visit.

But Mrs Logan pulled out of the viewing and Mr Peires said: "My wife told me she wasn't coming because she'd got to the gate and was put off by the noise".

Shepherds Holt, a six-bedroom mansion in Denham

He added: "The only ones who were really interested were put off by the helicopters. We decided to stop selling it in the end because it was a lost cause."

The couple are now suing the owners of the 100-year-old airfield, Bickerton's Aerodrome Ltd, claiming they have not done enough to curtail the racket.

They want a court order restricting the noise - or £700,000 compensation for the loss of their home's value if that cannot be done.

The "loud drumming and shattering" penetrates into the drawing room and master bedroom even with the double-glazed windows tight shut, the couple say.

Tess Daly posesat the National Television Awards   Photo: Getty Images

And, when outside in their home's "extensive grounds", the racket becomes "incredible".

Their barrister, Edward Denehan, said they had no quarrel with "general" aviation use of the airfield, which they accept as a fact of life.

But their complaints are focused on helicopter manoeuvres which occur on a special training "slope" close by their 2.5-acre garden.

Mr Peires, 69, who made his fortune in the travel industry, said they ended up letting Shepherd's Holt between 2013 and 2015.

"Our main request of the court is to help us live in peace," he said.

The aerodrome's QC, Richard Harwood, asked Mr Peires about a June 2013 incident in which he allegedly rang up the airfield and "shouted" at the duty officer to "remove" a helicopter.

Mr Peires explained: "I was probably in the middle of a game of tennis, we were probably embarrassed, with our friends having come to play and not being able to hear anything".

Shepherds Holt, a six-bedroom mansion in Denham

The QC accused Mr Peires of being "rather arrogant", claiming he tried to get helicopter flying schedules changed late in the day to suit his convenience.

"I don't agree," countered the pensioner. "I try to be courteous, but there are times when I become agitated because I don't feel I'm being taken seriously, or that I'm being made a fool of."

Much of the dispute in the case boils down to the timing of chopper manoeuvres - with Mr and Mrs Peires claiming their peace is regularly disturbed for up to half-an-hour at a time.

However, Mr Harwood insisted that helicopter training flights from the aerodrome had been greatly reduced in recent years.

Choppers only use the training slope so that pilots can practise taking off and landing, he said.

"This exercise is carried out on average approximately 1.5 times a week and is limited to less than 10 minutes each time," he told the judge.

The hearing continues.

The celebrity couple were "left horrified by the noise" during their second viewing and were visibly shocked, the court heard.