The last man standing in village street set to be demolished to make way for the UK's new Universal theme park

A lone resident is the last man standing on a village street as he refuses to move from his home to make way for one of Europe's biggest theme parks. Ritchie Wood, 55, is waiting until the 11th hour to leave his home to make way for the UK's new Universal theme park, which is set to open in 2031 in Kempston Hardwick, near Bedford. All 12 homes on Manor Road in the village are due to be knocked down for the 480-acre park, with Mr Wood claiming that Universal has been 'bullying' his neighbours to sell up their homes and leave.

Six homes have already been vacated, while another five are understood to have sold their homes to Universal under NDAs – with demolition slated for Christmas according to an anonymous resident. While the 480-acre park has been lauded by the government as providing 'opportunity and long‑term prosperity for Britain', Mr Wood is defiantly refusing to leave his three-bedroom cottage, which he has rented for 11 years.