An Oxford landlord has been fined £12,000 for renting out an unsafe house.

Mohammed Ali Rana, who runs Chandlers Estate Agents, was charged with four breaches of housing regulations and failing to comply with a notice served under the Housing Act.

Rana, of Cherwell Drive, Marston, originally pleaded not guilty, but subsequently admitted the offences and asked for the case to be dealt with in his absence.

Oxford City Council's environmental health service, which brought the case, was also awarded £600 costs at the hearing on Monday.

Environmental health officers visited 108 St Mary's Road, East Oxford, last October after complaints from tenants about poor conditions. The officials found a faulty smoke alarm, defective windows, a damaged wall and an untidy back garden.

Additionally, an area at the rear of the house was enclosed using corrugated plastic and timber, preventing the kitchen and ground-floor rear room being ventilated. A letter and a legal notice were sent to Rana requiring work to be carried out.

But when officers returned the following month, no improvements had been made.

Ed Turner, the council's executive member for housing, said: "It's unacceptable for landlords to rent out unsafe homes that fail basic standards."