It’s been a fortnight now since Lynn Bridson hit the headlines when she was evicted from her council home in Douglas.

Lynn was evicted from her home in Hillside Avenue after Douglas Council was granted a court order over £1,800 rent arrears which she says have now all been cleared.

But she said she was thrown out because she owns another property, a derelict and barely habitable home on Cronk y Berry that was left to her following the death of a father.

Now living in a room in that house, she said she is starting to find her feet.

And she is relieved that her young grandson, for whom she is legal guardian, has now been taken in by her youngest daughter.

Meanwhile, it emerged at Douglas Council last week that the number of evictions is on the increase - with no fewer than seven this year alone.

Lynn, 54, who stood as a candidate in Douglas North in last year’s general election, said: ’I’m feeling better than I did.

’I never asked anybody for anything. I went public to open people’s eyes.’

She had threatened to live in a tent in the back garden at Cronk y Berry but is now sleeping on a blow-up camp bed in the attic.

’I tried the tent but it got flooded out. So I skipped a lot of rubbish and I’m now sleeping upstairs on a blow-up camp bed,’ she explained.

’I’m lucky to be honest. I’ve got a roof over my head, I’m not homeless in the traditional sense.’

Lynn said she was shocked at some of the vitriolic comments posted about her on social media.

’People who gathered around originally I’m afraid were scared off by what was said on social media,’ she said.

’I’ve got to get stronger emotionally.’

Lynn said colleagues in the Manx Labour Party had had a ’whip round’ and she was able to make a start with the plaster board.

’I’ve decided to do one room at a time,’ she said.

Asked about her eight-year-old son Kayden, she said: ’My youngest daughter has made room for him in her house.

’He’s struggling as we are extraordinarily close.’

At the meeting of Douglas Council last week Councillor Stephen Pitts tabled a series of questions about the level of evictions by the authority.

Chairman of the housing committee Councillor Claire Wells revealed there have been seven evictions this year, six for rent arrears and one for anti-social behaviour.

Last year, there were four evictions and there were three in both the two previous years.

She explained there were a large number of cases that proceed to court which are ultimately withdrawn when regular payments are received.

This year, there were 88 cases that proceeded to court for rent arrears and three for anti-social behaviour.

Lynn said: ’The number of evictions is getting worse. They say you are only six pay packets from being homeless. Anybody can get into financial difficulties.

’Douglas Council says they are not a social service. But they are. They shouldn’t be wielding power like this when they feel like it.’

Mr Pitts said the authority and the courts were reluctant to throw tenants out of their homes and eviction was very much a last resort.

He said Miss Bridson had attended only one out of four court hearings and the council had given a one-month extension to the possession order to allow the tenant time to arrange alternative accommodation.