Publican famed for selling £125 burger evicted from council house

A publican who found fame by selling a £125 burger is to be evicted from a home owned by the London Borough of Croydon.

Stephen Sussams sold the champagne and truffle beef burgers when he was landlord of the Royal Dart Hotel in Devon, and they were said to be the most expensive burgers on sale anywhere in the world.

But he fought a lengthy legal battle to try to remain in a council property in Marston Way, Upper Norwood.

Croydon County Court has now given the council the go-ahead to evict him.

Alison Butler, cabinet member for homes and regeneration at Croydon Council, said: “This has been a long, drawn-out case and it’s a credit to our housing legal and tenancy teams for their determination and hard work in bringing about this eviction.

“We don’t take these decisions lightly, however this was an individual who abused the benefits system and in the process deprived a family in need of a home.”

Croydon said Mr Sussams had taken £17,600 in care fees mistakenly paid into a dead man’s bank account, to which he had access to as the deceased’s carer.

He had also illegally claimed more than £14,000 in housing and council tax benefit after failing to tell the council he was living with his civil partner.

A Croydon spokesman said the case had been delayed by repeated adjournments.