BAILIFFS were in an unlikely location during last night's BBC show The Sheriffs Are Coming.

Sheriffs Rob and Gerald paid a visit to Maunsel House, near North Petherton, which is owned by eccentric millionaire Sir Benjamin Slade.

The high court enforcement officers were at the countryside venue to collect £,4,700 on behalf of a wedding planner who had not been paid.

Staff were accused of locking valuables behind doors as the camera crew made their way around the property.

The pair spent three hours on site and their camera operators were told to leave, which brought the bill up to £5,599. Even with a locksmith and removal van on the way, the debt still had not been paid.

Somerset County Gazette: PARTY PLANS: Sir Benjamin Slade

ECCENTRIC: Sir Benjamin Slade 

While Sir Benjamin does not appear on the programme, representatives and solicitors on his behalf made phone calls to the court team at the house.

A call was made to the police, who needed to attend to ensure the weapons that were removed from the property were safe, which appeared to speed up proceedings.

Rob said: "While on the phone to the police they said they are going to pay.

"It was Gerald that told them we were on the phone to the police, and we feel that may have had the deciding factor on the case.

"Hats off to Gerald on this one, he pushed the right button and they subsequently made payment in full on the back of that."

Gerald said: "Persistence in the end prevailed. We got a good result, paid in full."

The wedding planer who wasn't paid will now get her money.

Earlier this year, Sir Benjamin put 398-acres of his nature reserve up for sale, priced at £2.2million. It formed part of the 2,000-acre estate.

Eccentric Sir Benjamin, 72, made headlines last year after publicising his search to find a wife who can provide him with two sons.

His eyebrow-raising list of requirements for the perfect "breeder" stated she should be taller than 5ft 6ins - preferably 6ft 1ins or 6ft 2ins - aged between 30 and 40, possess a gun licence and be "castle trained".

Sir Benjamin, who made his fortune as a shipping magnate, also made headlines in 2012 after police staged a dramatic raid on his home, which saw him charged with possessing a firearm without a certificate and breaching a shotgun certificate by leaving a weapon unsecured.

He said he used the shotgun to shoot at foxes from his bedroom window.

Catch episode four of the eighth series on the BBC iPlayer.