The lettings department of Tim Russ has won a gold award as the best in Beaconsfield.

The team led by agency director Kathi Mountford-Taylor “performed outstandingly throughout the extensive judging period which focused on customer service levels,” said the judging panel for the 2018-2019 British Property Awards.

The competition was introduced three years ago by previous owners of estate agencies to highlight the good job their colleagues do.

“We believe the industry is unfairly judged by some consumers due to the shortcomings of some estate agents,” say the organisers.

“We judge companies on a town by town basis. Those who go the extra mile and provide outstanding levels of customer service are rewarded with our accolade which acts as a beacon to highlight these attributes to their local marketplace.”

Clients of the agency in Burkes Road dine out on stories of how Kathi and her colleague assistant manager Sue Withey are available 24/7 to come to the rescue in an emergency.

On one memorable evening the lettings director was on court in a squash match when she received a message that a client was stuck in a lift in an apartment block.

She raced off to phone an engineer who freed the grateful tenant in double quick time - whether the letting agent from Tim Russ went back on court and finished her squash match isn’t recorded.

Back in 2014, Sue [pic left] and a colleague held the fort while Kathi [right] was on holiday. Sue told the Free Press the following week: “In our spare time we found ourselves watering plants and feeding goldfish for absent tenants - all part of the service offered by the caring team at Tim Russ Lettings. “

Pictured is one of the properties on the books of the Beaconsfield agent this week.

This character cottage in Penn is newly redecorated and available to rent as soon as the prospective tenant completes the legal formalities.

The rent is £1,200 a month.