A kind-hearted estate agent is attempting to win over competitors by appealing to their sweet tooth - and handing out free chocolates.

Staff at Malixons have been spending hundreds on appeasing their competition by purchasing dozens of small boxes of chocolates to give to big-name estate agents including Jacksons and Foxtons.

After a launch party earlier this month staff have been hoarding the chocolates in their office and have so far handed out roughly 200 boxes to their competitors down the street.

Staff at the agent in Streatham High Road say bosses have forked out around £300 so far on the sweets.

Estate agent Solomon Knight, 27, said: "We started on Monday and it was a case of going round and giving boxes of chocolate to all the competing estate agents, we have at least 15 agents close by.

"We opened last Friday, we are a high-end luxury estate agents and we are giving out boxes to make friends with them rather than competing against them.

"The boxes gave about five chocolates in each and we're giving several out to each estate agents.

"I went to Jackson's estate agents where there were about 13 members of staff and they were in hysterics and said it was one of the nicest things that any rival estate agent has done.

"Another one of the colleagues were telling me to leave more boxes, it's just a big laugh."

In a letter handed out with the chocolates Malixons said it looks forward to "breaking old tales of agents hating other agents and trying to do them over".

The letter said: "We won't employ dirty tactics to make you look bad or us look better.

"There are millions of properties in London and so much to go around us all, so we hope to be pleasant in our dealings with you and hope you are the same.

"We will not badmouth you nor make up lies about you or any other agent.

"We aren't going to lie to clients about offers in a bid to buy time, be difficult giving you access to properties we found tenants for, nor will we withhold keys by claiming they are with a colleague who is currently on a viewing on the other side of London.

"In the meantime here are some chocolates for you and your team to enjoy."

Bosses at Malixons have hinted there may be more freebies on the way and some staff have been asked to source Monopoly board games.

Mr Knight said: "We've handed out chocolates to all our competitors and we've been told to prepare ourselves for more things to be given out, one of my colleagues was asked to source Monopoly games.

"So far we must have spent at least £300 on just the chocolate, it must be costing at least £500 to £1,000 easily."

He added: "Everyone seems to love it, it's definitely causing a buzz in our area."