An agent has been hit with a £7,500 bill after advertising holiday homes as though they were permanent residential properties.

Paul Staniford, a senior partner of Stanifords estate agents in Beverley, Yorkshire, appeared at Beverley Magistrates Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to misleading advertising under the Consumer Protection Regulations 2008.

Magistrates were told that in 2012 and 2013, officers from East Riding Council’s trading standards department sent advisory letters and guidance to estate agents warning them against advertising holiday homes, such as log cabins on holiday parks, as permanent residential properties.

In March 2015, a Trading Standards officer discovered Stanifords were advertising residential properties which included a two-bedroom lakeside log cabin in High Farm Country Park in Routh, near Beverley, with no indication it was a holiday home only.

A visit to the estate agents also revealed that more adverts for holiday homes in High Farm Country Park gave the impression holiday homes could be used as permanent residences.

The court heard that despite advice from Trading Standards officers, Staniford, a chartered surveyor for 35 years, continued to advertise the holiday homes without making it clear they were not for permanent use.

Staniford was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,466 plus a victim surcharge of £120.

The court also heard that Staniford no longer advertises holiday homes, that no member of the public suffered a financial loss or the company made a financial gain as a result of the adverts.

Colin Briggs, trading standards manager at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “The fine handed out by the court shows how seriously they take misleading advertising.

“In this case, Staniford was told about the misleading adverts on a number of occasions and he chose to ignore the advice given to him by my officers.

“This sends out a clear message that we will take firm action against anyone who attempts to mislead the public.”

Under CPR, agents must not omit material facts which could affect someone’s transactional decisions. However, prosecutions of agents who may have breached CPR have so far been very rare indeed.