Taranaki beachcomber Eric Brewer says he couldn't care less that his home of 16 years has been torn down.

New Plymouth District Council staff in white boiler suits and police descended on Brewer's illegal Tapuae beach hut of driftwood and tarpaulin at 7.30am today.

Mr Brewer was told by council to remove his dwelling from the land by 3pm on Wednesday last week but he didn't leave.

Police talk to hermit Eric Brewer while others check his beachside hut this morning.

This morning a number of council staff began to dismantle his house while three police officers stood by.

Mr Brewer sat quietly to the side as people pored over his belongings.

He said the council were trying to put him in a square.

ANDY JACKSON Police talk to hermit Eric Brewer while council staff take his beachside hut to down.

''I'm still free they don't own me.''

He said he had expected the council to return after the 3pm deadline last Wednesday.

''It was supposed to happen the other day, they've snuck in.

''They've come to steal my house, but it's not their land.

''The land will still be here when we're dead.''

Mr Brewer's nephew Jimo Rangi was getting ready to go to bed after finishing work at 6am this morning when he heard the news.

He said the "dawn raid" came as no surprise.

''We called it last week. We said if they were going to do it they would wait until the commotion had died down.''

Mr Rangi was visibly upset by the scene.

''It's pretty horrible standing here watching someone's house getting torn down.

''Regardless of what's gone on, this is his home.''

He said when he arrived at the Tapuae Reserve carpark a council officer told him he was too late.

The council had not made contact with any of Mr Brewer's family prior to the raid this morning, he said.

''It kind of sucks that no one could get in touch with us.''

Mr Brewer said he had no immediate plans but would consider moving to Wellington to live with his daughter and grandchildren.

The council said it was removing Mr Brewer's home because it was an illegal structure under Section 164 of the Local Government Act.

In a statement it said Mr Brewer had been in breach of both the Reserves Act 1977 and Part 5, Public Places, of the New Plymouth District Council Bylaw 2008.

Council chief executive Barbara McKerrow said: ''This has been a difficult issue.

Mr Brewer has his supporters but his occupation of this reserve breached both the Reserves Act and the council's public places bylaw.

''Our approach has been to ask Mr Brewer to remove his dwelling and belongings, not to ban him from using the beach like any other member of the public.

''Mr Brewer ignored our requests and so we have taken this action. To reiterate, we have not trespassed Mr Brewer from the beach.''

Mr Brewer's story made national news and sparked comments from around the country and the world.