Furious residents told how their multi-million pound homes are under threat from an invasion of Japanese knotweed - blaming a former Tory councillor neighbour for allowing the 'lethal' plants to grow out of control for years.

Locals claim Nicholas Halbritter, 73, failed to tackle the menacing weeds despite being ordered by a court to clear up the mess in 2017.

Shocking images show the back garden of the property developer's £4 million Chelsea townhouse has become overwhelmed by the invasive species.

Neighbours say they have been left feeling helpless and complain their protests to Kensington and Chelsea council have fallen on deaf ears after problems began eight years ago.

Nicholas Halbritter, 73, (pictured left outside 10 Downing Street) was ordered by a court to sort out his property in 2017 after it was found to have Japanese knotweed in the garden and foxes mating in the basement

Mr Halbritter served on the council between 2002 and 2006 and has been championed by local MPs's Housing Minister Felicity Buchan and Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands for his work with the Royal British Legion.

The images obtained by MailOnline show Mr Halbritter's back garden in the affluent west London street swamped by the twisting weeds which can undermine foundations, crack concrete and damage drains.

People living in the street claim their lives have also been blighted by the high-pitched screeching and blood-curdling cries of foxes who have taken up residence in the property.

One neighbour said: 'We feel helpless. This has been going on for years now and no action has been taken. The residents simply feel that the council are not doing their jobs.

'Someone perhaps feels that as he was once a councillor this matter should not be pursued.'

The neighbour added that the foxes had set up home in the basement of the four storey property and described the sounds of their mating rituals as 'intolerable'.

Mr Halbritter - who has owned the property for nearly 40 years - is chairman of the Kensington and Chelsea branch of the Royal British Legion.

In 2022 he received a special award from the mayor of Kensington and Chelsea in recognition of his fundraising efforts for veterans as well as for organising an annual open day and guided tours at the Brompton Cemetery which backs onto his property.

Last year Kensington and Bayswater MP Ms Buchan posted a photograph of herself standing alongside Mr Halbritter on the steps of 10 Downing Street where they were attending a reception in honour of the veterans community.

When Mr Halbritter appeared at Hammersmith Magistrates Court in May 2017 he said he had been too busy with his fundraising activities to address the knotweed menace.

The court heard the council had told him the previous year that he needed to call in a specialist to deal with the plant. He did not heed the notice and was charged with failing to maintain land.

After pleading guilty, Mr Halbritter was left more than £1,500 out of pocket when he was ordered to pay a £467 fine, £1,000 in court costs, and a £46 surcharge.

Sentencing him at the time, deputy district judge Briony Clarke said: 'Japanese knotweed is a real risk not only to your property but to others. It's important you get these matters dealt with, the last thing we want is you coming back with further non-compliance.'

The court heard that officers from the council Mr Halbritter had previously represented served him with a notice to tidy up his land on August 9 2016.

He was ordered to comply with 10 conditions including arranging for herbicidal treatment to be carried out by a specialist contractor to remove the knotweed and stop it growing.

He was also ordered to remove rubbish from the basement area and garden and told to fix the back doors and windows to stop further access by foxes.

Action was taken after he failed to carry out the work by December 8 2016.

The court heard Mr Halbritter, who represented himself during the hearing, had approached a specialist in the days before the proceedings took place and pledged the work would be carried out that summer.

But he accused the council of 'reneging' on a deal agreed the previous September that the work could be carried out later because of his charity commitments.

He said he told council officials he set three months aside at the end of each year so he could devote his time to the Legion's poppy appeal and asked if the council 'would be kind enough not to hinder me during those three months'.

At the time of the hearing a neighbour told MailOnline: 'It has been pretty aggravating.

'There is this completely destitute basement.

'It has got rubbish piled up in the window. It is really sordid.'

Referring to the knotweed, the neighbour said: 'It is really dangerous. It penetrates through the masonry.

'It is lethal stuff. It is very strong. Once you get contaminated, you are stuffed.

'Once it takes hold, it is hell to get rid of. Because you have to poison every root. You cannot just pull it up.

'I was worrying about it spreading. All the neighbours were. We have all had enough.'

Talking about the foxes, the man said: 'They are pests. They drag up everything. They drag it up and go through all the rubbish.

'When they are breeding, they screech all night. They are a nuisance. They live there, in the basement.'

He added: 'It is a blight. These are nice houses, and a lot of people are quite proud and have spent quite a lot of money on them.

'And to have this in your midst - it is not nimbyism. I just want a reasonable neighbour.'

They're not the only neighbours who have complained about the state of Mr Halbritter's properties.

Locals in Camberwell south east London say two million pound properties he owns have been left derelict and without roofs.

Earlier this year Mr Halbritter was ordered to pay court costs of £2,137 in relation to the properties which are in the same street.

Neighbour Michelle Howard, 68, said: 'Given the shortage of housing at the moment it is frustrating to see houses like that abandoned.

'Most properties on this road are divided into three flats which could house families. It is a shame to see them wasted.'

The average price for flats in the street is between £400,000 and £500,000, with one recently selling for £475,000.

Miss Howard, a designer, added: 'There is something quite ominous about having two completely empty houses on the street in that state.

'I have been here for 35 years and no one has ever lived in one of them but I did see someone coming and going to clean out rubbish dumped in the other one from time to time.'

There are currently builders carrying out renovation works at the properties where the front windows and doors are boarded up.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea said it had been in contact with Mr Halbritter over the issues.

A spokesman for Kensington and Chelsea Council said: 'We are aware of this situation and have written to and visited the resident to remind them of their responsibilities in managing Japanese knotweed at their property.

'Our officers have also met with neighbours to discuss their concerns.

'The Council does not have any statutory or legal powers to eradicate foxes on private land. We provide information about how residents can control and manage foxes via our website.

'The resident's history as a councillor in Kensington and Chelsea has absolutely no bearing on our handling of this case.'