A LANDLORD has been fined for failing to renovate a house after a court hearing where he claimed he was being "harassed and bullied" by council officials.

Colin Forster, 52, appeared before magistrates in Peterlee on Tuesday accused of failing to comply with a council notice to maintain the property in Front Street, Leadgate, County Durham.

The court heard Mr Forster, who owns ten properties in the area, was issued with a notice to render the front of the property, replace a window and paint the render in January 2014 by Durham County Council.

Debbie Bryant, council planning enforcement notice officer, said the council had begun proceedings after receiving a complaint about the state of the house.

She added that although remedial work had been carried out at the property, the requested work had not been done despite the council extending the deadline several times.

She added that if Mr Forster had thought the notice was unreasonable, he should have appealed within 28 days of the notice being issued.

At the hearing, Mr Forster, who defended himself, said he had not rendered the terraced house because the property had structural issues which needed rectifying first.

He added that he wanted to replace the render with stonework, saying: "Excuse my language but render is a crap way of repairing the building as it hides nothing but problems.

"I just wanted to repair the property to my standards - what's wrong with that?

"My standards are much higher than the council's."

Mr Forster, of York Avenue, Moorside, Consett, said he never left his properties in a dilapidated condition, adding: "I'm being harassed - a bunch of authoritarian bullies are making me do something that is unreasonable.

"They have not had one complaint from members of the public (about the house)."

Finding Mr Forster guilty of failing to comply with the notice, John Smith, chair of the bench, said the magistrates could fine him up to £1,000 but would only be issuing a £100 fine.

The council's costs of £520 were also split, with Mr Forster only having to pay half, as well as a £20 victim surcharge.