YouTube couple's donkey plans hit by Roman finds

A YouTuber couple's plans to build a donkey sanctuary in their garden could be delayed by potential Roman remains beneath the site.

Zoella, real name Zoe Sugg, and her fiancé Alfie Deyes have applied to create a donkey enclosure, stables, three shepherd huts, parking for tractors and a pond on a five-acre field they recently bought near Hassocks, West Sussex.

However, a planning report by Mid Sussex District Council warned that the land could contain Roman, Anglo-Saxon or prehistoric artefacts, meaning work cannot begin until archaeologists investigate.

It follows a recent excavation across the road that uncovered features from the Roman period.

The archaeological potential beneath the site "needs to be further understood", the report said.

The council's archaeological adviser has recommended that no development or groundwork should take place until a programme of archaeological monitoring was approved.

Some nearby residents have raised concerns about access to nearby bridleways and public footpaths, the urbanisation of the area and the impact on views.

The application will be considered by Mid Sussex District Council at a future planning committee meeting.

Sugg and Deyes rose to fame by making videos YouTube, amassing more than 23 million subscribers combined.

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