Laughing all the way to the bank: Enfield as Loadsamoney in 1988

Comedian Harry Enfield has lived up to one of his early catchphrases and made 'loadsamoney' from selling his Notting Hill house for about £12m.

He defied the credit crunch to make a near £10m profit on the property in the heart of a conservation area, nine years after buying it.

Enfield, 47, and his wife Lucy, a designer, paid £2.5m for the house after selling their previous home in Primrose Hill for £1m.

The couple, who have three children, are believed to be moving to a smaller property nearby.

The townhouse, a stuccoed building with several storeys, is near the house used by contestants on The Apprentice, which is worth £12m.

Other neighbours include Tatler editor Geordie Greig and Channel 4 newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy.

The comedy star is very involved in the community, performing in the annual local celebrity-studded panto, and his son Archie attends the nearby Notting Hill Prep school.

Enfield, who also has a home in Buckinghamshire, is best known for his Nineties TV sketch show Harry Enfield And Chums, which included the characters Kevin the Teenager, Tim Nice But Dim and, with Paul Whitehouse, Smashie and Nicey.

Enfield rose to fame in the Channel 4 show Saturday Live as Stavros, the kebab shop owner, and Loadsamoney, a loud-mouthed plasterer who boastfully waved wads of cash around and was seen as a critique of Thatcherite values.

Profit: Enfield's townhouse in in Notting Hill sold for £12m

Although Loadsamoney  -  along with his catchphrases of 'bish, bash, bosh' and 'shut your mouth'  -  was a huge hit, Enfield eventually decided to kill off the character because he feared it was being mis-represented.

Loadsamoney met his end when he was run over during a Comic Relief Red Nose Day show, while leaving the studio after presenting host Lenny Henry with 'the biggest cheque of the night' -  a physically huge cheque for 10p.

He has more recently been seen playing the father of Nicholas Hoult's character in the controversial Channel 4 programme Skins, and has been working behind the scenes as director.

Last year he reunited with Whitehouse in Ruddy Hell! It's Harry And Paul. He is now filming a new BBC show.

Harry Enfield and wife Lucy defied the credit crunch to make a near £10m profit on their property nine years after buying it