SOUTH Dorset MP JIM Knight has launched a new probe into the former naval accommodation blocks on Portland.

He is investigating why the Ministry of Defence is still paying council tax on the Hardy Block site, despite it being sold to developers Comer Homes. Mr Knight said: "It seems very off to me that the MoD has got rid of the site and then continued paying council tax on it. That is illogical if the sale has gone ahead."

Mr Knight added: "I would be very concerned if the MoD was paying anything for it and extremely concerned if it had any remaining liability for the site because of all the issues around the site being allowed to get into the state it is now in."

The Hardy buildings are owned by Rossmark Properties Ltd, which is based in London.

Comer Homes' directors, Irish brothers Brian and Luke Comer, are listed as directors of Rossmark.

Portland Town Councillor Sandra West, who used to work at the site when it was used by the Royal Navy, asked Mr Knight to find out about the MoD's links to the property.

She said: "I was appalled when I found out that Comer Homes was not paying the tax for those buildings.

"I always assumed that when you buy someone's house you have to pay the council tax."

She added: "It was gorgeous in there.

"Both sites were absolutely beautiful - it was just such a happy place to work - and to see it as it is now just breaks my heart."

Two blocks at the complex are in Band G and one block is in Band F.

The Band G charge for 2005 to 2006 is £2,289 and the Band F charge is £1,983.

Comer Homes promised to develop the former air station into a thriving community with flats, a hotel and leisure facilities when the blocks were bought for £450,000 in August 2000.

But after months of vandalism, trespassing and a series of fires on the site, surveyors were asked to inspect the complex in Castletown to decide whether to designate the property as derelict and delete it from council tax lists.

Luke Comer, director of Comer Homes, has since vowed to start work on the luxury flats development as soon as possible and security has been stepped up at the site

No one from Comer Homes was available for comment. There was no comment from the Ministry of Defence.