A rogue landlord who left an unsafe gas connection and failed to install door locks on a house let to a single parent has been prosecuted after showing a “shocking disregard” for his tenants’ safety.

Naeem Ahmad rented out house a in Walton Drive, High Wycombe and let it fall into disrepair, neglecting problems such as dangerous electrical sockets in a child’s bedroom, damp, mould and doors hanging off hinges.

The landlord, of Exeter Road, Braunton, North Devon, was ordered to pay more than £10,000 in fines and costs by Wycombe Magistrates on Tuesday this week.

It came after Environmental Health Officers from Wycombe District Council's private sector housing team inspected the property in June 2014 after being made aware of concerns.

The team identified numerous hazards including an illegal unsafe gas connection to the cooker, no safety catches on any bedroom windows, no locks on the front door or the back door and extensive long term neglect including leaking gutters and wet walls.

Although some of these were fixed under emergency remedial action, Improvement Notices were served on Ahmad to fix the rest.

But he failed to carry out any of the work needed to make the house safe within the specified timescales, putting the family who lived there at continued risk, the council said.

Cllr Julia Langley, WDC’s cabinet member for Housing, said: "We have thousands of people living in private rented accommodation in our district and we will always work positively with landlords to help them to meet the right standards for their tenants.

“However this case shows that there are rogue landlords out there and when we find them we will take action to protect vulnerable tenants. The condition of this property and the complete disregard for the tenants' safety was shocking."

After a contested trial, the court found Ahmad guilty of five offences under the Housing Act 2004 for non-compliance with Improvement Notices.

The notices were served on him to make repairs and improvements to the property to make it safe and more suitable for long term occupation.

He was fined a total of £5,500 with costs of £5,000 awarded to Wycombe District Council and a £200 victim surcharge.

Ahmad has the right to appeal from the Magistrates Court decision to the Crown Court within 21 days.