FORMER Tatton MP Neil Hamilton and his wife, Christine have been forced to put their £1.25 million property on the market.

The couple have finally decided to sell the listed building after several disastrous court battles.

Mr Hamilton, who has lived with wife Christine at the Old Rectory in Nether Alderley for more than 10 years after leaving his home in Church Street, Davenham, needs to sell his home to pay a £1.5million legal bill.

Tatton's long-time MP was left penniless when Harrod's boss Mohamed Al Fayed, who won their long-running libel battle, served him with a bankruptcy order.

Speaking from their six-bedroomed mansion on Monday, Mrs Hamilton said she would be sorry leave.

"Life goes on, but it will be a wrench," she said. "But most people never have the chance to live in a house like this and we have been lucky to have had that chance."

Since losing the Tatton parliamentary seat to Martin Bell in 1997 Mr Hamilton has made his living through television appearances and writing for newspapers.

The couple are now likely to move to London to concentrate on their new careers as celebrities.

"We would like to be able to put the house on wheels and move it elsewhere," said Mr Hamilton.

"Given I am not going to be a member of Parliament for Tatton any more our life has changed and most of our work is generated in London."

The grade II listed house, which dates back to the early 1600s, has six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a drawing room, dining room, morning room and a driveway with 'ample parking for many cars'.