TWO bankrupt Tavistock businessmen have been ordered to pay West Devon Borough Council thousands of pounds in costs after admitting flouting planning rules.

Marc Bassett, 50, and David Brittan, 34, had been partners in a car sales business, Bassetts of Tavistock, Plymouth Crown Court was told.

Both men appeared at court last Thursday for sentence after previously admitting charges of failing to comply with a planning enforcement notice and failing to comply with a stop notice.

The charges were brought by West Devon Borough Council after Mr Basset and Mr Brittan used agricultural land at Higher Wilminstone Farm near Tavistock to valet and service cars.

Judge Paul Darlow refused to accept that the men had no means to pay a fine without seeing further evidence.

He ordered the defendants to provide proof of what had become of all assets over £500 that they had owned since 2005.

At sentencing, he said documents now provided by the defence went 'a considerable way towards unravelling a tangled and mysterious connection' between the two men.

Nigel Fryer, for both Mr Bassett and Mr Brittan, said: 'The blunt truth is that they have no money. They are both bankrupt but want to trade in the future.'

Judge Darlow said the men had received repeated warnings and he should be considering fines and costs totalling almost £20,000 split between the two men, but he had to consider their limited incomes.

He imposed conditional discharges on Mr Bassett, of Higher Wilminstone Farm, Tavistock, and Mr Brittan, of Pixon Lane, Tavistock and ordered each to pay the council £2,500 costs within 12 months.