La Gaviota, Marbella

Life is often easier for the rich and famous, but sometimes they just have to put up with life’s misfortunes like the rest of us. So it is for Hollywood A-list couple Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffiths, who appear to have lost their long-running battle against planning officials in the town hall of Marbella. As a result, a large slice of their garden, running from the sea front up to the edge of their pool, will be made accessible to the public. That will make it impossible for the couple to enjoy their pool with any privacy.

Bandera’s has been fighting to keep his property intact almost since he bought it. The Mask of Zorro star, 48, and his actress wife Melanie bought the six-bedroom villa, called La Gaviota, near Marbella, in 1997 for £5million, only to discover that it had been built with an ‘illegal’ building licence, that the Andalusian High Court ruled in 2003 should never have been granted.

Giving up part of the property to public access may be a concession that Banderas has to make to get the property legalised. Last year he wa