A complaint against an estate agent has been informally resolved by the Advertising Standards Authority.

A complainant challenged whether a claim that the business was established in 1932 could be substantiated.

After the ASA approached the business with its concerns, Lovelle Estate Agencies agreed to remove the claim.

According to Companies House, Lovelle Estate Agencies was incorporated on January 25, 2006.

However, yesterday Lovelle stuck by its antiquity.

The firm, with offices in Lincolnshire, East Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, described its history as long and reputable.

It went on: “Of course, like many companies, mergers have seen name changes over the years – originally Bacons, after William Bacon, the organisation evolved into Lovelle Bacons and now the Lovelle Agency.

“These changes came about thanks to a family partnership between William Bacon and John Love, whose family name then changed to Lovelle.”

But, said a spokesman, proving the history from 1932 to the present day proved difficult. As a result, an ‘informal resolution’ was made with the ASA and a halt was made to the use of this date until data was finally unearthed.

Yesterday – before this morning’s announcement by the ASA – these could be found on Twitter and Facebook.