£30k case of mistaken identity

Adam Pacocha, general manager of Venato, said he would never have chosen the site had he known the true scale of the charge and blamed Hounslow Council for failing to notice the problem, caused by a decision several years to split Unit 3 into two sections, 3A and 3B, linked by a central staircase."If we have to pay the full amount, including arrears, we may as well start packing up now," he said.

Owners didn't realise there was already a Unit 3A on the estate - a smaller and more basic workshop with much lower rates.

Venato moved into the new unit two years ago, which should have cost £12,000, but were charged at the lower rate of £3,000. Amazingly, the problem went unnoticed until a couple of weeks ago when the kitchen workshop company received a bill for more than £30,000 in back-dated business rates from the council.

A spokesman for Hounslow Council said the landlord had given an incorrect address when the account was set up and it had issued a new bill as soon as this came to light. But he added: "We are happy to discuss an extended repayment plan with the owner so they don't suffer unnecessarily."