A man has won his legal battle to inherit the farm where he worked without pay for 25 years.

David Thorner, who is 57, spent most of his adult life helping out on his cousin’s farm in Somerset. He agreed not to take any wages on the understanding that he would inherit the land, worth £2m, when his cousin Peter Thorner died. He lived on little more than pocket money from his parents in the meantime.

Peter made a will leaving the estate to David. Later he made an alteration to the will relating to a completely different matter but then never returned it to his solicitor. When he died the will could not be found.

In the absence of a will, other members of Peter’s family claimed the estate. The case ended up in the High Court which recognised David’s remarkable commitment and accepted that his cousin Peter had wanted him to inherit.

David was awarded the farm with the remainder of the estate, valued at over £1m, going to other members of the family.