New owners and residents Iya Patarkatsishvili and Yevhen Hunyak said they began to encounter dozens of moths every day, including on their towels and toothbrushes and in their wine glasses.

The source of the problem was found to be lamb’s wool insulation installed when the early Victorian property, situated in Notting Hill, was extensively renovated just over a decade ago.

Seller William Woodward-Fisher had been told about the extent of the problem while the property was on the market, but had lied when asked about known problems during the selling process.

Even after extensive works by the new owners, there remained a “residual moth problem” – and the new residents had “fallen out of love with the house” in the process, the High Court acknowledged.

Sir Timothy Fancourt found that the seller’s failure to disclose amounted to fraudulent misrepresentation and ordered the transaction to be set aside.