A dawn raid on an overcrowded three-bed property in Kingsbury by police uncovered 17 men living with no hot water or electricity.

The tenants in the property were found to be males who were paying cash in hand to one person living in the flat, who was then passing on the official rent of £1,200 per month to the landlord.

The total proceeds collected by the head tenant, who is now facing prosecution, was found to be £3,400 and both rent recipients have been advised to leave the property immediately or face an unlimited failure to licence fine, while there was also one arrest made during the raid for a previously convicted offence.

Police found cramped conditions throughout and no hot water or heating, with everything in a state of disrepair with protruding electric cables, tiny rooms with up to five beds in them, grimy mattresses, a dirty kitchen and a leaking sink.

The backyard was also full of household rubbish and old mattresses.

'No one deserves to live like this'

Cllr Harbi Farah, Brent Council's cabinet member for housing, said: "Having to live with 16 other people in these cramped conditions is unacceptable.

"We are talking about people's lives and no one deserves to spend theirs in a grimy, overcrowded house with no hot water or heating.

"While there are many good landlords in Brent who have licensed their properties, there's still a significant number who haven't, who are operating illegally and exploiting people for profit.

"We are in the process of identifying and taking enforcement action against unlicensed properties and I'm happy to see actions including the raid last week, taken against landlords who do not comply with the law.

"Licensing is good for everyone in Brent. It drives up standards in the private sector and ensures a good standard of living for our residents, something we are committed to providing."

Police also recently uncovered a sawn-off shotgun in another raid on a property in Stonebridge .

Crackdown on rogue landlords

The raid was part of Brent Council's ramped up enforcement activity to ensure that all landlords with unlicensed properties are held to account and are not letting out substandard, squalid and overcrowded accommodation that have a significant impact on local neighbourhoods.

Council enforcement officers were joined by the Metropolitan Police who were there to support the enforcement of an entry warrant and to provide support for the enforcement officers who had been previously obstructed in carrying out their duties at the property.

Officers from Immigration Enforcement were also present to investigate the immigration status of the tenants as legally required.