Pamela Poole, a private landlord, today pleaded guilty to harassment of her tenant (she was officially charged with 'doing acts likely to interfere with the comfort of a residential occupier'.), under the terms of the Protection from Eviction Act at Sheffield Magistrates Court. She was given a six month conditional discharge.

The Court heard that Poole, of Abbeydale Road, Sheffield entered the tenant's flat uninvited, swore at a guest, and packed up the tenant's possessions. In her defence Mrs Poole claimed that she thought the tenant had agreed to leave.

The prosecution was brought by Sheffield City Council's Housing Aid Service. It is the fifth successful prosecution of a private landlord for illegal eviction brought by the City Council in the last six months.

Dave Hickling, the Council's Tenancy Relations Officer, said: "A small minority of landlords in Sheffield commit offences against their tenants. When this happens we will always act to protect the rights of tenants. In doing so, we want to discourage other landlords from behaving unscrupulously.

"The majority of private landlords in the city are decent and law-abiding. The Council will continue to work with them through initiatives such as the Responsible Landlord Scheme to recognise their commitment to their tenants."