Businessman "Lord" Brett McLean was made the sole beneficiary of his mother Maureen McLean's estate in 2019.

But he is now being sued by step-brother train driver Ian McLean, 61, and his two siblings Sean McLean, a former soldier, and Lorraine Pomeroy.

They say their late biological father Reginald and Maureen, his second wife, made wills in 2017 that split their wealth equally between Brett and his three step-siblings.

But Maureen altered the arrangement in 2019 after Reginald's death, cutting out her three stepchildren and leaving everything to Brett, 47.

He says he calls himself Lord of Hastings after a friend he worked with gave him the title and he describes himself as a "chairman, consultant, patron, trustee and president of national, regional and local business, charitable and voluntary organisations".

He told Central London County Court his mother left him the £300,000 house in St Leonards, East Sussex, so he could continue to care for her green Amazonian orange winged parrot and orange jenday - a parakeet.

He also alleges that letters his step-siblings say prove Reginald and Maureen agreed to split the estate between all four children are fake.

But half-brother Ian, of Sevenoaks, Kent, accused him as being "pretentious", and insists his parents stated they wished the house, where Brett lives, and the couple's money would be shared between the children.

The court also heard that if Brett loses the case, he will not only face losing his accommodation but also a bill for back rent from his step-siblings for the time he has spent living there.