A landlord who broke the law by converting a building into seven flats in east London without planning consent could be made to pay back the rent he received illegally.

Landlord Nazmul Haq of Darling Row, Whitechapel, was found guilty of breaching an enforcement notice at Snaresbrook Crown Court, and is now subject to confiscation proceedings meaning he may be forced to sell his property in Barking.

Cllr Laila Butt, cabinet member for crime and enforcement, commented: “We are committed to clamping down on landlords who feel they can make a mint out of others’ misery.

“There is no place in Barking and Dagenham for shoddy practices and breaking the law.”

She added: “We are committed to not just identifying those who break the law and prosecuting them, but will go as far as stripping criminals of their ill-gotten gains to show that crime doesn’t pay.”