A rogue landlord has been jailed for 10 months after he failed to comply with conditions set by a court concerning his rat-infested property.

Martin Ambler admitted four counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order in May 2022 but sentencing was deferred so that he could instruct housing experts or a management company to inspect and provide a report on all his properties within Bolsover District, Derbyshire.

He was also ordered to cooperate with the council to provide full financial information about any companies of which he was a director and was told not to commit any further offences.

One of Ambler's houses on the West Lea estate in Clowne (pictured) was infested with rats, droppings were found on a mattress, a child's artwork had been chewed and the rodents had even caused a leak by chewing through a water pipe.

The family home contained numerous Category 1 hazards including holes in the walls, gaps in decaying windows, doors that didn't close properly and leaking external doors.

At another property, he left large amounts of fly-tipped rubbish in the gardens while metal shutters were attached to the windows.

Similar behaviour

However, since this court appearance at Derby Crown Court last August, the landlord has been in breach of his criminal behaviour order and the judge's instructions by not providing the relevant information on a number of conditions, Chesterfield Crown Court heard.

The landlord has a history of similar behaviour; in 2017, Ambler was slapped with a �2,500 fine and handed a criminal behaviour order after North East Derbyshire District Council's environmental health team received 11 complaints about waste accumulating at a property in North Wingfield. Other tenants also complained about damp and mould, lack of heating, blood-stained walls, and faulty electrics.