'Rogue landlord' councillor in asylum house threat

A politician found to be illegally running two unsafe rental properties has been accused of threatening to sell the homes to be used for housing asylum seekers.

The houses, in Tamworth, Staffordshire, are owned by Warwickshire county councillor Edward Harris.

In text messages seen by the BBC, Harris told neighbours he no longer felt welcome in the area, and that he felt he had been left with no choice but to sell the properties to an investor who had previously approached him.

Harris told the BBC it was "not reasonable to comment on the possible intentions of any potential purchaser".

Tamworth Borough Council described Harris as a "rogue landlord", and said it had uncovered "multiple serious safety failures" at the properties - including a lack of central heating and hot water, no working fire alarms, inadequate cooking facilities and unsafe access to outdoor areas.

Harris, who resigned from Reform UK and his position as chairman of the council on Thursday, told neighbours he never intended to be a bad neighbour, and that he was sorry for previous issues regarding removal of waste outside the properties.

He explained the investor had made a generous offer, and were keen to lease the homes to a government contractor, which would in turn use them to house asylum seekers.

In the message, he asserted that he had so far resisted the offer as he did not support the use of residential homes for housing asylum seekers.

The six-bedroom detached buildings, which housed multiple tenants, failed to meet even the most basic of living standards and legal requirements, according to Tamworth Borough Council, which issued emergency prohibition notices on both of them.

In a statement, the authority said Harris had repeatedly failed to take action to address the problems it had found.

"We saw local people living in dangerous conditions and a landlord who simply refused to act despite repeated warnings," said councillor Ben Clarke, portfolio holder for housing, homelessness and planning.

All residents affected by the closure had been offered support and advice to help them secure alternative accommodation, the council added.

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