A crumbling mansion that was abandoned while still filled with luxury possessions and a classic Bentley rusting outside was home to a Greek property millionaire, it is reported.
The eight-bedroom home on the outskirts of London has been left to rot with half-empty tubes of toothpaste next to a grotty sink and plates still inside a dishwasher.
Villagers near Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, claimed the mansion was previously occupied by real estate tycoon Athanasios Tachmintzis, 70, whose wife Sharon, from North Wales, died aged 52 in May 2004.
Mr Tachmintzis is said to have acquired the property in 1999 and lived there for about 18 years before he disappeared suddenly.
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Villagers told MailOnline that the father-of-five, known as Thanos, lived in the mansion, near Watford, with his two daughters and at least one of his sons.
It was unclear who was residing at the home when it was abandoned while completely furnished and decorated, and filled with everything from pianos and a snooker table to designer clothing and a telescope.
Haunting photos emerged this week showing the interior, which appeared to be frozen in time, and five cars, including the old Bentley, parked in the overgrown grounds
A chess table looked like it had a half-finished game and snooker balls were scattered on a table gathering dust in a utility room.
The images were taken by an urban explorer who gained access to the gated property and ventured inside the mansion, where some of the ceilings have partially collapsed.
For years, neighbours have been wondering why the occupants moved out and left so many belongings behind, giving the impression that they may have been in a hurry.
Mr Tachmintzis and his wife had three sons - Alexis, 43, Nicholas, 41, and Paul, 36 - and daughters Kiristiana, 34, and Alicia, 28, it is reported.
Villagers claimed Mr Tachmintzis, listed as a property consultant on the UK's registrar of companies, once had security guards positioned at the gate and had three Dobermans on the grounds.
One local said they noticed that the occupants had "just disappeared" about three years ago.
The resident said: "I just thought at first that they had gone away somewhere and would then come back – but nobody did. It is most strange.
"At first the gates were just shut and then a padlock and chain appeared on them. You could just see the grass getting longer and longer and growing around the cars.
"Nobody around here has a clue what happened to them and why they just upped and left. It is a real mystery. They obviously had loads of money because it is a big house. There were always lots of comings and goings with different people going in and out."
The local said they had spoken to members of the family in the past and seen the daughters and and a cleaner walking the Dobermans.
Another woman said she knew the father as Thanos.
One villager claimed they saw guards on the gates of the property about 15 years ago.
And another said he once knocked on the door, even though he suspected the home was empty, and peered through a window to see water "pouring into the hallway from a leak".
According to Land Registry records, the property has been owned by Ainhurst Enterprises Ltd since 1999.
It is not listed in the UK's registrar of companies, suggesting it is based overseas.
The records show a number of charges for allegedly unpaid bills have been made against the abandoned mansion, it is reported.
His sons are also listed on the Companies House registrar under various projects.
A profile for a Nicholas Tachmintzis on the website Star Now says he is available for work as an actor or extra in films and TV.
In June 2013, Kings Langley residents were asked to be on the lookout for Alexis Tachmintzis, then 26, after he was reported missing, the Watford Observer reported at the time.
Police said he was last seen leaving a relative's house in north-west London and was "particularly fond of the Kings Langley area as he has relatives there".
Other photos from the property showed a watch that has stopped ticking on a bedside table, designer clothes, including Yves St Laurent, Gucci and Louis Vuitton, stacked up on rails in a bedroom, and a dishwasher with plates still inside.
There are empty fish tanks lined up in a grand hallway, half-finished bottles of shampoo and conditioner are next to a Jacuzzi-style bathtub and a tube of toothpaste stands next to a grotty sink.
The kitchen - once full of posh utensils and time-saving mod cons - now has part of the roof collapsing in after year of neglect.
A Japanese-themed piano takes pride of place in one of the rooms with a music book opened, and stacks of china sit on a living room table next to oddly white and dust-free sofas.
A potted plant is still alive in its pot on a windowsill next to a telescope lined up ready for its owner to look at the night sky.
Someone has placed dolls on a fireplace mantel and stuffed animals are seen scattered around some of the rooms.
An urban explorer who took the images said he had never seen such a well-preserved house.
He said unopened post had filled the entrance hallway, starting in 2016, so it appears the family moved out about four years ago.
He said: "It was an amazing house to visit. I've seen a lot of these places and most are in a far worse state than this one.
"It was literally like the people who lived there got up in the middle of the night and ran without taking anything.
"There was dry cleaning still in the plastic wrapping.
"It appears they didn't even pack a bag.
"It must have been a fast move as even their toothbrushes were still there."
