Evicted at Christmas

4:52pm Wednesday 20th December 2006

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A 'family from hell' facing a Christmas eviction from their Sanderstead home claim they are victims of a miscarriage of justice.

Jean and Robert Broughton were ordered by a court on December 8 to leave their council-owned Limpsfield Road home for troublesome' and antisocial behaviour.

However, they claim they are the victims of a campaign to force them out of the area by some residents who don't want to live near council tenants.

Other neighbours of the Broughtons said they were baffled by the decision. They also claimed the court dismissed a petition of support for the family.

Jean, Robert and their nine-year-old daughter Heidi are now facing an uncertain future.

Jean, 42, said: "We haven't even put Christmas decorations up because we don't know when we're getting kicked out. Our solicitor seems to think it could be early in January.

"My two older sons were given Asbos a few years ago for fixing cars in the road, but they have not done it since. The eviction is based on complaints made about our daughter swearing, which isn't true.

"Some people have made us feel unwelcome since we moved here a few years ago. I believe it's because we are council tenants and they think it's going to affect the price of their property when they decide to sell."

Jean's 47-year-old husband Robert, a bar steward, added: "We don't know where we're going to go, we could end up in a bed and breakfast. Both my wife and daughter suffer from asthma and the stress has been hard on them. In a way, I want to leave now. It's obvious people don't want us here."

Croydon Council won a possession order on December 8 to evict the Broughtons from their home, following complaints from residents, who claimed the couple's nine-year-old daughter Heidi was swearing and that Jean's grandchildren made too much noise when they came to visit.

However, the couple's next-door-neighbour, Tracey Rogers, said this was not true. She added: "I live the nearest to the Broughtons and I have never heard anything like what they have been accused of. I've not heard the little girl swearing and they have been good neighbours to me and my son, who is disabled.

"Quite a few neighbours were shocked when they heard what was going on. I even went to court to give evidence in support of them and several other neighbours signed a petition to try and keep them here. But the court did not accept it.

"I can't help but think it is a campaign to get them out. The case seems to have been based on just one or two people and there are many more neighbours who don't believe it is right."

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, added: "The Broughtons are not the problem around here. It's awful that they've now got to leave.

"The council did not seem interested in talking to other residents to find out what's really going on."

A Croydon Council spokesman said: "More than one person made a complaint against the Broughtons. We are aware of the counter claims and that other residents signed a petition to let them stay. Unfortunately, the courts did not believe it."