Controversial property educator Samuel Leeds has insisted that his latest online video – breaking through a door with a chainsaw – wasn’t illegal and aimed to highlight private landlords’ predicament.

Leeds filmed himself tearing through a front door on X, telling followers: “Today, I had to evict somebody out of my property with a chainsaw.

“If they were at a hotel and refused to check out, security would break entry within the hour. My lawyer suggested I send a certified bailiff, but I figured it was more fun doing it myself.”

The stunt sparked incredulity and hilarity among some on social media and was picked up by national media, who suggested that Leeds had reportedly evicted a tenant.

Publicity stunt

But he went on GB News to explain that it was just a publicity stunt, as the property was an empty “class C1 hotel with no tenants possibly in it”.

He told the news channel: “If you steal bread from a shop, everyone will say you deserve to be punished but for some weird reason if you steal from a landlord then suddenly it’s alright – I’m the criminal, I’m the bad guy for evicting that person.

“Because landlords are so persecuted in Britain, a lot of landlords are now renting their properties out instead to guests, like you would rent out a hotel.

“You don’t rent the property, you hire the property and you pay nightly for it. If your guest doesn’t pay, they have no rights – if they don’t pay, you can kick them out within 24 hours.”

But some viewers have slammed the video as a publicity stunt.

One wrote: "Do all your properties have cardboard doors?"

A second added: "Lol there's no one even in there, lad just chopped up his cheap door to try and get internet famous."