A Slough landlord who hid families in rooms without windows after failing to get planning permission for a block of flats has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Talwinder Singh, 57, was originally refused permission to build a block of six flats. He disregarded this ruling and built them on Waterbeach Road. He was served a planning enforcement notice in September 2010 but went on to rent out the six flats to tenants.

Mr Singh claimed that the property had been returned to a single dwelling, in line with the enforcement notice, and informed the council of this change.

However, Mr Singh installed temporary kitchens in the flats in these flats which would be dismantled and removed when council officers visited. He also removed the windows on the top floor attic flats, leaving the tenants, with children, without natural light.

He also charged the tenants an additional fee for council tax despite the fact he only paid the council for the one property he had declared.

Mr Singh sentenced to a 15-month prison term at Reading Crown Court, suspended for 18 months. He was fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £266,177, which represented the illegally obtained rent money and unpaid council tax.

He was also ordered to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work over 12 months. All the money needs to be paid within three months or he will face up to 30 months in jail.

Director of Regeneration Joe Cart said: “People and families in Slough deserve good accommodation and landlords who are not overcharging them for services they are not providing.

“Such a successful outcome shows how the council will not tolerate such flagrant disregard of its planning regulations.”

Neil Wilcox, Director of Finance and Resources, added: “This successful prosecution is a result of a thorough and painstaking investigation by the Council’s Fraud Team and has led to the recovery of a significant amount of lost council tax.

“Singh told the tenants he was paying their council tax when it actually went directly into his pocket.

“He was prepared to inconvenience tenants, some of whom had young children, by removing evidence from the flats and making them go without kitchen facilities, in an attempt to defraud the council.”

Mr Singh now has to return the flats to the permitted one or two properties as per the original planning consent.