An estate agent in south London has been accused of advertising in "bad taste".

According to the official complaint from Councillor Stephen Alambritis to the Advertising Standards Agency, the newspaper advert by Ellison''s Land and New Homes in Raynes Park aims to take advantage of elderly homeowners in the area.

The advert promotes the development potential of back gardens in the area, asking "Is your garden too large to cope?"

"Such a strapline is clearly aimed at the elderly and I find this very worrying," the councillor told the Wimbledon and Mitcham Guardian.

He added: "I know Ellisons to be a highly respectable firm of estate agents and I am therefore doubly mystified by this advert."

The complaint comes soon as the issue of back-garden building continues to be controversial in the area, with local developers having applied to build four new properties in a single garden last September despite the opposition of local residents.

According to a recent study by the Halifax Estate Agents, 78 per cent of Britons would pay a premium to have a home with a garden, with five per cent willing to pay £30,000 for the privilege.