Enfield Magistrates have dished out a record-breaking £20,000 fine to housing giant Barratt Homes for flyposting illegally in Southgate.

Barratt homes admitted attaching 20 unauthorised directional adverts to road signs and lampposts pin-pointing new developments during December 2004.

A number of previous convictions for fly-posting in May 2004 counted against Barratt Homes which resulted in the hefty fine £1,000 per offence plus costs of £650.

Barratts had sought an adjournment of the case to obtain counsel's opinion, but finally pleaded guilty on all counts due to the overwhelming evidence against the firm collated by Enfield Council's enviro-crime unit.

Mark Polkinghorne, of High Road, Whetstone, trading as The Estate Agent Board Service was also fined £500 per offence in connection with the fly-posting, making a total of £10,000. He was also ordered to pay court costs of £650.

The case was proved in his absence.

Enfield Council's cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Terry Neville, said: "Fly-posting defaces streets and neighbourhoods.

"A reputable company like Barratts should know better and I welcome the size of the fines imposed by the courts, which reflect the seriousness of the offence and the fact that the companies concerned should set an example."

The case was heard by Enfield Magistrates on July 15.