William Lyttle, aka The Mole Man

The notorious Mole Man house in the De Beauvoir conservation area is going under the hammer on Thursday, with a guide price of £750,000.

Part-demolition of Mole Man's house in Stamford Road

The property in Mortimer Road gained notoriety six years ago because its former owner, William Lyttle, had dug extensive tunnels of up to 60ft long under the derelict property.

Hackney Council evicted and re-housed Mr Lyttle because of safety concerns.

Lyttle died 2010 and probate experts Fraser and Fraser tracked down his heirs, who now hope to make some money from the sale.

The site has planning permission for the derelict structure to be knocked down and for the construction of two three-storey town houses with basements.

Sean King, CEO of Move with Us, who are handling the sale, said: “Putting the property up for auction is the best option to achieve the maximum property price, coupled with the fact that the site has restricted viewing access and is unsafe.”

The auction takes place at the Everyman Cinema, Belsize Park at noon on July 19.