Residents have reacted with fury after the studio of a celebrated sculptor was torn down.

In 1933 Sir Jacob Epstein moved into a house on Baldwins Hill, Loughton, where he set up shop in a small wooden studio, creating his figurines and painting hundreds of watercolours of Epping Forest.

On June 26 this year, an officer working for Epping Forest District Council approved a request to destroy Epstein's studio in a four paragraph report which failed to mention the American born British sculptor.

Yesterday (July 31) the structure was taken down and thrown in a skip, which had been emptied by the evening.

Stephen Pewsey, a town historian and former secretary of the Loughton Residents Association, wrote on Facebook: "This is what we think of culture and heritage here in Loughton.

"A local property developer has destroyed the artist's studio where Epstein created some of his best-known works.

"It is now a heap of smashed timber in a skip."

Although the studio sat in a conservation area, because it was not listed the decision to have it destroyed could be delegated to an unelected officers without having to be approved by councillors.

According to Mr Pewsey, the developers were aware of the building's significance, having been approached a number of times by conservation officers.

Epstein first moved to Epping Forest in 1922, finding creative retreat from the fast pace of London.

He lived in several rental properties before, at the age of 53, moving first to number 49 and then number 50 Baldwins Hill.

A blue plaque sits outside number 50 which reads: "Sir Jacob Epstein (1880 -1959) Sculptor, lived in this house 1933-1950."

During his first year in the studio he painted close to 100 watercolours of the surrounding area.

In his autobiography, 'Let There Be Sculpture', he wrote of The Forest : "I could go there with my daughter and we did not have to walk far before seeing something worth painting.

"As usual with me, what started as a mere diversion became in the end a passion, and I could think of nothing else but painting. I arose to paint and painted until sundown."

Epstein also created many sculptures in Loughton, which earned him plaudits and caused scandal with their sexually explicit forms and rough finishes.

He died in 1959 in Kensington and is buried in Putney Vale Cemetery.

A council spokesperson said: “Due to the buildings small size, planning permission was not required for the demolition of the out building. The prior notification application was to determine whether there were any concerns about the method of demolition, rather than to prevent demolition. Given the buildings position and distance from other properties, prior approval was not required.

“Our conservation team have researched the building and although it is possible that the building may have been used by Jacob Epstein, the team were not able to find any conclusive evidence to support this statement. We understand that he did have a large studio on the other side of the road, but this was lost some years ago.

“In the absence of clear evidence that it was used by Epstein, unfortunately it was not possible for the Council to protect the building with any listing or through imposing an Article 4 Notice.”