A landlord in Croydon has been prosecuted for breaking a prohibition order after he failed to provide adequate safety measures in a flat conversion on the site of former bank in Sanderstead.

Anthony Roy Roe was convicted of breaking a prohibition order and failure to license a property on Friday (January 15) after a previous investigation barred him from renting out a flat conversion placed in the former vault of a branch of Barclays Bank in Sanderstead.

A spokesperson for Croydon Council said that they inspected the property in February 2019 after the tenant contacted them with safety concerns "about unsafe outdoor stairs with missing steps."

On visiting the basement flat, "inspectors also found Category 1 hazards relating to fire safety, lighting and excess heat," the spokesperson added.

"These included no fire escape route except through the kitchen, a lack of natural light as there were no windows in the living room or bedroom, and no natural ventilation."

Roe was handed a prohibition order after the flat was classed as unfit to live in, but he was later found to still be renting it out months later.

54-year-old Roe's conviction on Friday sees him added to the Mayor of London's list of 'rogue' landlords and Croydon Council said they would lobby for his name to be added to a similar nationwide database.

"This flat wasn’t just an unsuitable place to live; it was an illegal and potentially lethal firetrap, so I’m glad the tenant flagged her concerns to us," Councillor Jane Avis, cabinet member for homes and Gateway services, said.

"We set up our selective licensing scheme in Croydon so private tenants could have safe and good-quality homes, and this prosecution underlines why we’ve asked government for permission to renew it," she added.