Landlords who rented out a hazardous flat have been ordered to demolish it after a failed appeal.

The dwelling, which was rented out by Walthamstow company Star Lettings, was the subject of a tribunal after the owners disputed a council order to have it demolished.

Last year, the council was tipped off about a possible 'bed in shed’ dwelling behind the AF Bargain shop Higham Hill Road and officers investigated.

The walls of the property, an extension behind an empty shop, were found to be too thin to safely support the window frames.

Environmental health officer, Catherine Lovett, told the tribunal she found it was not fit to be rented to tenants and was the subject of a prohibition order.

She said: “On August 18, 2014, I received a complaint regarding a possible bed in shed.

“The complaint also raised concerns that people were also living in the deserted shop and that the rear extension had been built without planning permission.

“During an inspection of the ground floor flat numerous safety hazards were spotted, including fire risks and deficiencies which would lead to excess cold, damp and mould.”

Council building control officer, Sean Lines, said the walls were 100mm thick, plus render and plaster.

This is around a third of the acceptable thickness of a wall today and less than half the required thickness of a wall built in 1985.

One of the co-owners of the property Shoket Ali, who is the brother of council cabinet member and Labour councillor, Liaquat Ali, appealed to the tribunal over the demolition order.

He was represented at the tribunal by his son, Hather Ali.

Shocket Ali said the property was purchased in 2002 and the extension had already been built.

He said in a statement: “The extension was built over ten years ago and is not dangerous.

“The condensation is due to the tenant never opening windows. I can carry out any works to improve the property, but the extension is very safe.”

The tribunal last month concluded there was no realistic prospect of flat being safely brought up to standards and upheld the demolition order.

Speaking after the decision Hather Ali said the flat will now be demolished.

He said: “It was our right to go to the tribunal, so we did.

"The building had been there for 13 or 14 years and there has been no problems with it at all. We bought it as it is now.

“We are no longer disputing it and we are fully compliant. We are going to knock it down and re-build it again.”