A LANDLORD must pay more than £700 for owning a ‘horrible’ house in Rishton, magistrates said.

Brendan Kiely, who has featured in a BBC Watchdog ‘Rogue Traders’ investigation, had ignored borough council instructions to repair and reglaze the empty and vandalised terraced home in Spring Street.

Hyndburn magistrates judged that Mr Kiely had failed to comply with a legal notice calling for action and imposed a fine of £400 plus £40 victim surcharge, as well as £300 in council costs which he must pay within 14 days.

The court ruled that Hyndburn Council officers may now enter the property and carry out the works.

Mr Kiely, who operates from Middleton in Manchester, was fined £2,000 by Reedley magistrates in 2010 for failing to comply with licensing regulations over a property he owned in Cog Lane.

Hyndburn Council’s cabinet member for housing, Coun Clare Pritchard said “This was a horrible house.

“It was causing a real nuisance to neighbours.

“It was an eyesore in a residential street and making people’s lives a misery.

“He had allowed the house to get into a dreadful state.

“Where people won’t co-operate and bring their houses into a state of repair, we will always take them to court.

“It’s distressing for neighbours to live near houses like this and I’m pleased that the court has supported the council’s actions.

“It now means we can go in and repair the property and put a charge on it.”

In April last year, Mr Kiely’s activities featured in one of a series of BBC Watchdog documentaries highlighting alleged ‘Rogue Traders’.

Mr Kiely accused the programme of being ‘biased and unfair’.

There was no answer yesterday at the offices of The Brendan Kiely Corporation Ltd in Long Street, Middleton, also the business address of Bentley Residential Lettings Ltd which went into liquidation last week.

The prosecution was under Section 79 of the Building Act 1984 which gives a local authority the power to require repair of a ruinous or dilapidated property which is seriously detrim-ental to the amenities of the neighbourhood.

The enforcement notice under was served on January 10 2013, and had required compliance by February 6, 2013.