Bulldozers move on £100 home

A bulldozer has began the demolition work on the two houses

A terraced house in Bangor which was once used as a brothel has been bought for just £100 by an American who has immediately called in the bulldozers.

In the same road, Lower Street, there is a house on the market for £67,000 - yards away in a street nearby another is on sale for £100,000.

But the local authority decided to sell the property at a basement price because it was far cheaper than demolishing it.

New owner Steve Williams, a London-based businessman, says wants to help regenerate the area and build a new family home.

The software company owner already has the derelict house next door to the one he has just acquired.

A bulldozer began the demolition work on both houses on Wednesday after the sale was agreed

"I have a business in the area, I love the area and have an interest in it and I'm trying to invest in it and I want to build a house for my family," said Mr Williams, adding his ancestors originally came from Gwynedd.

The house was used by drug addicts. It was a crack house and a brothel. American businessman Steve Williams

A Gwynedd Council spokeswoman said: "It was a dangerous building and the problem had to be addressed.

"The most cost-effective way for the council was to sell the house on condition that the new owner demolished the buildings and made the place safe."

Mr Williams said as a piece of land "it is pretty much worthless" and the area was a "student ghetto".

"The house was used by drug addicts. It was a crack house and a brothel."

Mr Williams said the cost of demolishing both houses, cleaning the site and building retaining walls would cost between £20,000 and £30,000.

Builder Will Hughes, who owned the house around 20 years ago, looked on as the demolition work went on.

Squatters

"It's quite understandable why the council got rid of it.

"It must have been a headache for them and they just wanted to get rid of it because it looks like a mammoth task to do something with it."

Katrina Shields who lives in the same street was delighted to see the bulldozers arrive and said she had complained to the council because of squatters.

"We had problems with squatters and drugs, you name it we had it, so I just glad to see it come down."