by Andy Gray

County council bosses have destroyed a stunning 300-year-old feature - allegedly "without consent".

The Jacobean stairwell, which had remained intact since James I’s reign, stood in the historic Archbishop’s Palace in Maidstone.

But its removal has now prompted an internal row between Maidstone and Kent County Council.

Owners Maidstone council claim KCC, which leases the 800-year-old property, carried out work on the newel post without its permission.

In a letter to Avis Heppenstall, area manager of the palace, Maidstone council said no consent was provided for the newel post which stands in the foyer of the Grade I listed building.

The letter states the staircase had been refurbished to a “specification” with “considerable grant support from English Heritage.”

A new solid counter has been built in its place. Reasons for the alterations and its historical value and significance has not been established.

The council said the incident has been reported to its principal conservation officer and also promised to notify English Heritage.

A letter from Maidstone Borough Council’s corporate property manager Christopher Finch states: “This is very distressing as the building is a Grade One listed building containing many historic features, of which the original Jacobean newel post is one such item.”