Thanks everyone for their input. You have decided to leave Benji in the courtyard. We move his crate (door open) under the awning and as long as we are not inside the house he plays outside on his own and then go to the crate and sleeps. we have left him toys, water and food. For some reason he enjoys playing with the fallen tree leaves rather than his toys. If we are home he sooks to go inside. He has been going the toilet spot every time we take him out and wait with him. when he is on his own he does it sometime on the pavers.
I think he will be OK today as he has been left outside every day since Tuesday while the we take and pick the kids from school and when my wife go to shops.