Bob Dylan in row over portaloo

The mega news that at 67 Bob Dylan (pictured) is to release a new album - it was announced yesterday that Together Through Life will be in the shops on April 28 - has been momentarily eclipsed by an unseemly dispute over a portable lavatory the veteran singer has installed at his Malibu home.

The portaloo, apparently provided for his security staff, is sited in the grounds of the estate at Point Dune, a famous beauty spot north of Los Angeles where Dylan has lived for more than two decades. Neighbours claim it is putting out noxious smells which are wafting into their homes and making their lives a nightmare.

Cindy and David Emminger, who claim the stench has made their son ill, have now complained to the police. "It started in September. I'd go into the front yard and get nauseous," Cindy told the Los Angeles Times. "I couldn't figure out at first where the smell was coming from, until I finally noticed that they had moved the porta-potty directly in front of my front door. We both have allergies and are sensitive to chemicals. It's worse when it's misty outside at night. We turn on the five fans, but it still gets inside our house. We're not even using the upstairs now. We sleep downstairs."

Malibu public health officials are currently investigating the Emmingers’ complaint. While Dylan has yet to comment on the affair, this isn't the first time he and his security arrangements have caused controversy. A guardhouse he built to accommodate his 24-hour security team sparked a planning row in 1989 when Los Angeles County building and safety inspectors refused it a permit for being inaccessible to the disabled. Brilliantly, Dylan waved away the complaint saying that he "would not hire any handicapped persons" to work in his security staff. ·