Two Worcester homeowners have been taken to court for not complying with official notices telling them to tidy up their unsightly properties.

Both householders were last year served with Section 215 Notices under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 by Worcester City Council.

But they failed to take the actions required to tidy their properties, and they have now been successfully prosecuted at Worcester Magistrates Court, with both cases heard on Friday, December 7.

Kummer Sharif, of St Audries Road, Worcester, was served with a notice on July 28, 2017, giving him three months to tidy up his property.

The notice was served after the city council received complaints about the amount of waste and building materials being stored in the front and rear gardens.

Renovations to the property had also been left unfinished, with no render on the façade of the house.

In court, Mr Sharif pleaded guilty to the offence of non-compliance with the notice. The magistrates noted that the city council had previously taken action in April 2016 to clear the front and rear gardens of waste, but more waste subsequently appeared at the site and the property itself had deteriorated in condition.

Sharif was fined £500 and was ordered to pay costs of £1,200 and a victim surcharge of £50.

The second prosecution was of Philip Gunwhy, of Timberdine Avenue, Worcester.

Gunwhy was served with a Section 215 Notice on August 2, 2017, giving him three months to tidy up his property. This followed complaints to the city council about the overgrown rear garden. The property was also in a generally poor condition, with the ground floor windows boarded up and some of the rendering to the façade missing.

Gunwhy did not comply with the notice and also failed to attend the hearing at Worcester Magistrates Court.

The case proceeded in his absence. The evidence was read to the court and the matter was found to be proved. Gunwhy was fined £1,000, and ordered to pay costs of £1,200 and a victim surcharge of £100.

A spokesman for Worcester City Council said: “We welcome the outcomes of these prosecutions, which send a strong message that the city council will pursue cases where the condition of properties creates a blight on their local neighbourhoods.”