Solicitor sanctioned after stalking conviction

A lawyer found guilty of stalking has been sanctioned by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), who said they had "serious concerns" over his conviction.

Andrew Milne, who was found guilty after a trial at Stratford Magistrates' Court on 10 February, has been told by the regulator he may not act as a solicitor without the supervision of an approved person.

Milne, who recently made headlines after buying dozens of freeholds in Sheffield and threatening homeowners with legal action, has been approached by the BBC for comment.

In a statement the SRA said: "We have serious concerns regarding Mr Milne's conviction for stalking, as well as wider allegations which have been made."

As first reported by the Sheffield Tribune, Andrew Milne bought the freehold for almost 300 homes at auction in the summer at a cost of about £320 each.

He then sent letters to some tenants claiming alterations to their properties had breached the lease's terms, with one woman paying £25,000 to him to buy back the lease so she could sell up.

Milne did not respond to any questions put to him by the BBC at the time, but his law firm previously told The Tribune it denied every allegation of impropriety.

Earlier this month, Milne was convicted of a stalking offence and was bailed ahead of a sentencing hearing at Thames Magistrates' Court on 10 March.

The SRA said from now on, Milne, who runs Andrew Milne & Co Solicitors in London, may not act as a solicitor without the supervision of a solicitor approved by the SRA.

According to the regulator, this means his work - either at Andrew Milne & Co Solicitors or any other firm - would need to be subject to oversight by another appropriate solicitor, to ensure all legal services delivered are of appropriate quality and in accordance with the SRA's Standards and Regulations.

The SRA said conditions were not findings of a breach of the Standards and Regulations but rather aimed at controlling the work of an individual in the public interest, while fuller investigations are ongoing.

A SRA spokesperson said: "Our priority is to protect the public.

"This is why, as a result of his conviction, we have imposed a condition upon him which means he may not act as a solicitor without being supervised by a further solicitor, who we have approved to act in this capacity."

The SRA said the condition was published on the public record on Milne's Solicitor Register entry.

Four Sheffield MPs have since written to the regulator, calling for him to be suspended.

In a letter to the SRA's chief executive Sarah Rapson, Olivia Blake, Abtisam Mohamed, Louise Haigh and Phil Brickell said Milne's convictions made it clear he was "unfit to be a solicitor".

"Mr Milne's actions have caused a number of our constituents an unimaginable amount of stress, while many have told us they may not ever financially recover from this situation," they wrote.

"We are therefore urging you to suspend Mr Milne as a matter of urgency."

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