‘Mole Man’ Fined For Subterranean Den

An Irishman has been ordered to pay around £300,000 (€373,000) to stop the collapse of his London Home after digging winding warren of tunnels under it.

Retired civil engineer William Lyttle, 77, dubbed the ‘mole man’ excavated hundreds of feet of tunnels under his home and beneath nearby pavements in London, almost causing the Mortimer Road property, Hackney, in east London, to collapse.

Hackney Council eventually evicted him, before sending workmen to save the house, which had been left propped up with wooden beams and debris.

The council put scaffolding around the 20-room Victorian property, and concrete was poured into tunnels to shore it up. Now the High Court in London ordered Mr Lyttle to pay £283,026 for the repairs and £10,000 legal costs, thought to be the biggest award in the UK for a "public nuisance" case.

It is understood Mr Lyttle inherited the 20-room four-storey detached property from his parents.

Fiona Fletcher-Smith, of Hackney Council, said: "Mr Lyttle's actions had led to his home becoming a danger to himself and to the general public.

"Making the property safe is a matter which has incurred considerable expense to the Hackney taxpayer over a number of years, and we are extremely pleased that the court has agreed we should be able to recoup the cost."

The house, which is utterly dilapidated, could be worth more than £1m if renovated.

The High Court ordered him to pay the amount within 14 days or the property could be sold to pay the bill.

Mr Lyttle also dug holes in which he put cars, boats and other items. Mr Lyttle, who defended himself, is believed to have assets including a farm in Ireland, although court papers did not say where.