Owner of Coven eyesore could face further council action

Council bosses have not ruled out taking further legal action against the owner of a South Staffordshire house if nothing is done to tidy it up.

South Staffordshire Council took Clive Kill, of Brewood Road, Coven, to court after he repeatedly ignored demands to tidy up the property he owns in the village's Church Lane.

Kill, who has now pledged to tidy up the property, was found guilty by magistrates for ignoring a legal notice issued by the council.

The Express & Star told yesterday how he was ordered to pay almost £1,500 in fines and costs after the court heard the state of the house was labelled as a "blight" and an "eyesore" on the village.

The house has bricks wrapped in polythene piled in the garden along with 5ft high weeds.

Mr Kill, who inherited the semi-detached house following the death of his mother, was written to in November 2009 and ignored a legal notice and three letters from the council.

David Pattison, director of legal and public health protections services at South Staffordshire Council, said: "Mr Kill is under a legal duty to tidy the property and if he continues to ignore the recent conviction and the notice we've served then we will look very carefully at a further prosecution."

Kill said yesterday he planned to clean the house.