Building demolished to avoid empty property tax

Gordon Brown's new tax on empty buildings is prompting some to take extreme measures. Unoccupied commercial buildings used to get a 50% tax break, but since April they have been subject to the full rate.

There has been much speculation about whether hard-pressed developers would go as far as demolishing a building to get out of paying the new 'empty rates'. But this site off the A40 appears to offer conclusive proof that it is happening. Next to a pile of rubble, an unambiguous message: “Sorry Mr Brown, no empty rates on this one!”