Check if any bats live at Batman's house... or it'll be repossessed! Real-life Wayne Manor could be seized in bizarre row over wildlife surveys

The owner of the real-life Wayne Manor from Christopher Nolan's Batman films faces losing the stately home – over a failure to carry out bat surveys. Mentmore Towers, which featured in 2005's Batman Begins, could face a compulsory purchase order if a licensed bat ecologist is not appointed.Buckinghamshire Council said carrying out the surveys is 'reasonably necessary for the proper preservation' of the building which has faced accusations that it has been left to fall into disrepair. The Grade I-listed property in Buckinghamshire was built between 1852 and 1854 for the Rothschild family and is the only major surviving work of Sir Joseph Paxton – the architect behind the Crystal Palace.The property has deteriorating roofs, chimneys, rooflights, roof lanterns and leadwork with Historic England describing the condition as 'very bad'.Photographs on the council's notice show cracks in walls, broken windows, and ivy clad walls and when the property was visited, bat droppings were found.In the notice, Buckinghamshire Council has said the owner must demonstrate that it is appointing a contractor with experience in repairing listed buildings.If no action is taken, the council could seek government approval to acquire the mansion and further legal action. The owner of the mansion used as Bruce Wayne's home in the Batman films has been ordered to carry out bat surveys as the property has fallen into disrepair A sign on the edge of the property's boundaries warns trespassers that there are guard dogs on patrolThree bat-emergence surveys must be completed by August 2027, alongside any necessary Natural England licence and recommendations.Once work begins, council and Historic England officers must be allowed to inspect it weekly.Henrietta Billings, director of SAVE Britain's Heritage, said: 'We welcome this action taken by Buckinghamshire Council requiring the current owner to carry out urgent and overdue repairs to this great house.'We urge the owners, who have owned the building for over 25 years, to step up and undertake immediate repairs.'This exceptional landmark has been neglected for too long.'The property is owned by Syrian-British businessman Simon Halabi, who bought Mentmore Towers in 1999 after the building was put up for sale two years prior.The 68-year-old had intended to convert it into a luxury hotel with 171 suites but his plans were thwarted when local resident Jonathan Davey won a last-minute injunction to halt the work at the High Court in September 2004.A judicial review was undertaken to investigate whether the conditions of the planning permission had been followed. The property has deteriorating roofs, chimneys, rooflights, roof lanterns and leadwork Syrian-British businessman Simon Halabi, 68, bought Mentmore Towers in 1999 with plans to convert the property into a luxury hotelThe High Court ruled in March the following year that the decision to grant planning permission was 'unimpeachable'. However, Mr Halabi's plans to convert Mentmore Towers into a luxury hotel were abandoned when his property company fell into trouble due to the housing market's collapse.In 1992, before the businessman bought the property, the previous owners established a country club complete with an 18-hole golf course. However it ceased trading in 2015. Documents filed to Companies House in May state that Mentmore Towers Ltd, of which Mr Halabi is the director, is a dormant company – meaning it is not trading and does not have any other income, such as investments. In addition to the Batman films, Mentmore Towers has featured in several Hollywood movies including The Mummy Returns, Ali G Indahouse and Johnny English. It was also used as the location for music videos including Haddaway's What Is Love and the Spice Girls' Goodbye.