A property developer has been fined £5,400 and ordered to pay £1,190 costs for illegally fly-posting on lampposts across Bolton.

Bolton Council brought the case against Barratt Manchester Limited which trades as Barratt Homes. The company pleaded guilty to nine offences of displaying unlawful advertisement during a hearing at Bolton Magistrates' Court.

Barratts were fined £600 for each offence under Section 224 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

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The court heard that a highways enforcement officer from the council had written to the company last June asking them to remove their directional adverts which had been displayed on lampposts in four locations in Bolton without permission.

The company was given 48 hours to remove the signs and failed to comply. The signs were then removed by the highways officer.

Councillor Ismail Ibrahim, Bolton Council's Executive Member for Environmental Services, said: "We want to support businesses as much as possible but this is not how we expect developers to promote their schemes.

"It's our first prosecution under this legislation against a developer for this type of offence and it should serve as a warning as to what we regard as being unacceptable. Property developers must follow the appropriate procedure to get planning consent to display signs of this nature."

(CD/GK)