A landlord whose tenants had to live in poor conditions has been ordered to pay almost £14,000.

Tenants living at properties in Padiham owned by David Waddington were forced to live with damp, mould, electrical hazards and holes in ceilings.

Preston Magistrates Court heard that Burnley Council had been trying to get the landlord to carry out repairs for two years. But only minor improvements were made.

Waddington, whose last known address was in Pendleton, Clitheroe, admitted three offences under the Housing Act 2004, after ignoring improvement notices to carry out essential work on all the properties.

A Burnley council spokesperson said: “After almost two years’ of investigation and serving legal notices on the landlord, we’ve finally seen some kind of justice for his tenants.

“They were all vulnerable in one way or another and were forced to live in such poor conditions that you could see the effect it was having on their health and well-being.”