Hounslow homeowner fined £6,000 for knocking down his £800k home without telling the council

A homeowner in Hounslow has been fined more than £6,000 for illegally knocking down his own £800,000 house without telling the council.

Mohammed Ali Khan, 45, got a contractor to demolish the three-bed semi-detached property without permission to do so, the council said.

He started tearing down the building in Grove Road, Isleworth, west London, last January.

Hounslow Council’s Building Control Service investigated after worried neighbours contacted the authority over safety concerns.

In October, Khan was hauled before magistrates where he denied two charges of breaching the Building Act 1984.

But at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on February 3, Khan was found guilty and ordered to pay a fine of £6,043.34.

Despite the prosecution, there is still a "dangerous structure notice" in place and this will stay until the remaining front façade is removed or the house is re-built, the council said.

Councillor Tom Bruce, cabinet member for regeneration and development at Hounslow Council, yesterday (Tues) branded Khan "flagrant and reckless" for carrying out the illegal work.

He said: “I hope this prosecution and hefty fine sends a strong signal that we take these types of crime - which blight our neighbourhoods and threaten the safety of residents – very seriously and are fully prepared to pursue them.

“Flagrant and reckless breaches of planning rules and building regulations are not acceptable in our borough.

“This serves as a reminder to every resident that the correct procedures must be followed when undertaking construction on your property or hiring contractors.”