He has travelled the world with the RAF and worked with explosives in the depths of sea, but now veteran engineer Roger Plant is fighting to keep his feet firmly in a West farm field.

Mr Plant, 64, whose skills also made him a well-known face on TV's Robot Wars, has lost the latest round in his battle to keep his self-built motor home and trailer on land at Bearley, near Yeovil.

He moved onto the site two years ago with the permission of farmer Sid Walters, but South Somerset District Council refused to grant planning permission for the self- styled oddball's mobile home and he later lost a planning appeal. He has vowed to stay on the site with his beloved German shepherd dogs, saying he is harming no one.

On Wednesday, however, councillors voted to prosecute him for continuing to flout planning regulations. Mr Walters will be prosecuted, too, if he fails to take action to move Mr Plant by December 29.

Mr Plant, who has suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome for 20 years, has some food intolerances and receives higher rate disability allowance, said: "I've suggested three other sites for the motor home, two on Mr Walters' land and one at Langport, but they refused to consider them. All they have done is offer me sheltered accommodation.

"I have done extraordinary things in my life and I don't want to do mundane things and be in mundane places.

"I couldn't survive in a place like that. I need the space to think and keep busy – I am still developing engineering ideas. My two dogs are my life as well and I would never give them up.

"I came here originally to set up a caravan storage facility but that got turned down. My health was reasonable at the time but has gone downhill considerably since and I am physically unable to pick everything up and leave without some help.

"Mr Walters says he can't risk going to court and I quite understand his position. He has to protect his interests. He has told me I have to pack up but I will not move."

Mr Plant served with the RAF as a sergeant air radio fitter for 14 years, working on Lightning and Phantom aircraft, and on a classified Nato Cold War project for finding underwater sea mines before becoming a manned submersible pilot in the oil industry.

While working on the laying of a 700m-deep pipeline in the Mediterranean Sea, he went down in a submersible to lay explosives to blow up volcanic rocks. When the detonator failed he had the unenviable task of returning to remove it.

He also worked on gas and oil projects all over the North Sea. "What I did benefited everybody. I am just asking to be left to live my life in my own way," he said.

Mr Walters said: "I said Mr Plant could stay if he got permission for the caravan storage facility. But the locals didn't like it and the council didn't like it, it's caused nothing but grief."