Landlady Ling Campbell has only herself to blame for the £10,000 bill she faces for illegally evicting a tenant.

She was working for Oxford City Council at the time, advising people on housing problems.

She should have known better than anyone what her responsibilities were as a landlady.

Tenant Pamela Baum told Oxford magistrates that Campbell had packed her belongings in black bin bags, then locked her out of her home.

It was a clear breach of the law.

Campbell, having issued a notice to quit, should have sought a court order if Ms Baum and her fellow tenants failed to leave.

What is particularly galling is that because Campbell pleaded not guilty, the case took five-and-a-half days to resolve and cost the taxpayer more than £20,000.

Life may not always be easy for landlords, particularly when tenants are troublesome.

But courts should have no mercy on those who act unreasonably and take the law into their own hands.