Ed Sheeran has been hit with the curse of the great-crested newt as his plans to build a private chapel on his estate have been put on hold.

The pop star has now been forced to commission experts to hunt for the protected amphibians around his land in East Anglia.

The 27-year-old singer-songwriter, who announced his engagement to long-time girlfriend Cherry Seaborn in January, has submitted a planning application for the Saxon-style structure to Suffolk Coastal District Council.

But a string of concerns have been raised, including from Suffolk Wildlife Trust which said there were records of great crested newts in the area in 2015 and it is possible that ponds within the site boundaries "could be breeding sites for this species".

Great crested newts, Britain's largest newt species, have declined over recent years and are now legally protected.