The current issue of Private Eye Magazine has published a significant piece of original research which reveals the extent of ownership of British land by offshore companies.

Private Eye states the ownership by offshore landlords is "generally for tax avoidance and often to conceal dubious wealth". They say the research has revealed that: "in total 490,000 acres of England and Wales ­ larger than the area of Surrey or Greater London ­ are owned by offshore companies, most of it almost certainly acquired in this way for stamp duty and inheritance tax reasons."

The Eye has made their data available through an easily searchable online map of these properties, Interesting to see a few local properties appearing on the Map - including a few significant local buildings. Number 111 Green Lanes - currently subject of a contested alcohol licence application - was bought in 2007 for almost half a million pounds by a Seychelles based company; The Occasional Half Pub is owned in Luxembourg and leased by a Cayman Islands company - and a couple of flats in Myddleton Road are registered in the British Virgin Islands, (Well I never did!).

To create the map, the Eye tracked all leasehold and freehold interests acquired by offshore companies between 2005 and 2014. You can explore the data online.