Lancashire estate and lettings agent Ainsworth Lord Estates shuts Darwen office after visit from bailiffs

An estate and lettings agent has been forced to close one of its branches after a visit from bailiffs.

Ainsworth Lord Estates in Darwen remains closed after enforcement agents entered its Market Street office on Thursday (January 31).

A 'Secured Goods Notice' has been attached to the window warning that anyone entering the office will face 'criminal proceedings'.

The notice from Commercial Rent Bailiffs Ltd says: "No unauthorised persons are permitted to entry into these premises any attempt to do so will result in criminal proceedings being instigated against you."

Ainsworth Lord Estates swiftly offered reassurance to clients and tenants, saying the matter "will be resolved in the next day or so". It said enforcement action was due to a dispute over an unpaid utility bill on a commercial premises they manage, which led bailiffs to visit the office in an attempt to recover the debt yesterday.

Ainsworth Lord said they were unable to resolve the issue during the bailiff's visit, which meant they were forced to shut up shop until payment is made.

But the agency said "all tenants and clients remain unaffected by this interruption and its business as usual".

Full statement

A spokesman for Ainsworth Lord said: "Due to a dispute with a large utility bill on a large commercial property we manage, the bills were put in our name by the tenant.

"This has resulted in us having a dispute with the enforcement officers on Wednesday afternoon, who came to collect payment but due to the time of the day we weren’t able to satisfy their enquiries.

"As a result our office will be temporarily closed, however we are functioning as normal from our Blackburn office in Mill Hill.

"We expect this matter to be resolved in the next day or so. (As everyone knows, trying to contact utility companies is not easy!)

"All tenants and clients remain unaffected by this interruption and its business as usual. Thanks for your patience and understanding."