Hillingdon Council has scored another court victory as it continues its battle against illegal back garden homes and rogue landlords.

Harnek Singh Brar, of Brookside Road, Hayes, has been ordered to pay a total of £14,325 for unlawfully using his garage as two separate 'beds in sheds'. Brar had also divided his main house into two separate houses. He pleaded guilty to the offence at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court.

Brar was fined £10,000, ordered to pay £4,300 costs, and to pay a victim surcharge of £15 following an investigation by Hillingdon Council.

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He had previously failed to comply with an enforcement notice served by the council, which was upheld by the Planning Inspectorate in September 2010. The owner is still required to comply with the notice and restore the outbuilding to a garage, and to restore the subdivided main house to a single home, or he could face further court action.

Councillor Keith Burrows, Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling, said: "We launched a clampdown earlier this month and the hard work and dedication of our officers is already paying off. I am glad to see the courts taking this seriously and issuing some hefty fines. I hope this acts as a warning and deterrent to others. We have a dedicated team to tackle this issue and we will continue to take action against those people who think they can flout the law."

(CD/GK)