Property search firm loses legal battle

OneSearch Direct Holdings Ltd, which was founded in 1992 and provides search reports to potential property buyers, argued York City Council also packaged and sold the information and was unlawfully blocking fair competition.

But Mr Justice Hickinbottom, sitting in London, said: "I do not consider that the council is obliged to allow open access to all of its unrefined property information."

Yesterday's test case is regarded as important for all local authorities in the wake of the Government's introduction of home information packs (hips), which homeowners must have prepared for prospective buyers.