It's a flat, Jim, but not as we know it: Trekkie turns his home into Starship
Middle-aged men often counter the trauma of divorce by seeking a new sense of purpose in a hobby.
For some it's golf; others turn to fixing up vintage cars.
But Tony Alleyne has boldly gone where few others have been - transforming his flat into an amazingly accurate replica of a Star Trek set.
Star Trek fan Tony Alleyne tucks into Earthly toast in his one-bedroom studio flat
Over the past eight years he has turned his home into a homage to his favourite TV show.
Mr Alleyne, 56, said: 'My friend gave me a Star Trek mag and I became obsessed with having my own space ship. He laughed when I told him - I think he thought it was all a joke, but I knew I was going to achieve it one day.'
The catalyst was a split with his wife of seven years, Georgina. 'It all started as therapy after we split up,' he said. 'Building every bit from scratch really helped me to deal with the stress of it all.'
Step into my spaceship: The stunning level of detail he has put into transforming his home
Initially Mr Alleyne decked the flat out in cream and metallic colours as the USS Enterprise from 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture. But he found that 'a bit boring' and has now upgraded by recreating the starship Voyager from the 1990s series of the same name.
A copy of the ship's command console controls the lights and sound effects in the apartment in Hinckley, Leicestershire.
Every morning, a voice-activated computer system turns on fluorescent tubes that illuminate bleeping panels and a replica of the 'beam me up' transporter - all reflected in the mirrored ceiling. The windows have been fitted with layers of perspex and wood so that they appear to look out on outer space.
There's a whole universe going on in that flat. Tony Alleyne's home
Even the doorbell has been customised. It plays a sample of Patrick Stewart in his role as captain Jean-Luc Picard.
Sourcing and building everything himself has cost Mr Alleyne around £4,000, but he points out it would have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds for labourers to do it.
He said: 'Building this has been like a dream. I had a vision and I'm really amazed at what I managed to achieve with just hard work.'
His ex-wife still owns the flat, but he plans to keep adding to his creation as long as he lives there.
Mr Alleyne added: 'Some people might think I'm a bit of a sad individual, but I'm not. I'm just really into Star Trek - it's my only vice.'
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