RESIDENTS of Tall Trees housing park discovered an investigation into whether their homes were missold had been dropped through reading the local newspaper.

Dorset County Council had been examining a number of cases at the site for more than a year.

However, the trading standards investigation closed last month.

This followed a decision by Christchurch Borough Council to conclude enforcement action on Tall Trees, which started in 2016.

Resident Mandy Miller said she had first become aware of this decision by reading reports in the Daily Echo, several days before a letter from Dorset County Council confirming the move arrived through her letter box.

She said a lot of people were shocked and disappointed to hear the investigation had been stopped.

"We have gone through three and half years of torment and anguish because of this misselling," Mrs Miller said.

"As far as the council are concerned, an officer came back saying there was no case to answer because we are now residential.

"That isn't the case. The enforcement action has been dropped, but we still are not considered residential.

"In any case, the fact is the selling of homes still took place and we believe we were missold."

It is understood a planning application has been submitted by the site's current owners, Royale Parks, for a certificate of lawfulness of existing use or development.

Mrs Miller said the residents have met with MP Sir Christopher Chope to express their concerns about the dropped trading standards investigation.

Ivan Hancock, county council trading standards service manager, told the Daily Echo there was evidence of misselling at the time certain lodges were sold.

He added: "While those offences have not been proved in court, prior to the change in the applicable planning law to the site it was appropriate to investigate those formally, which we did.

"Due to the withdrawal of the planning enforcement notices, lodges have now been granted ‘residential’ status which reduces the impact of any ‘misselling’ that may have taken place."

Mrs Miller said there is no reason why the removal of enforcement action should have impacted on the investigation.