A former Keys candidate and her young grandson have been evicted from their council home.

And Lynn Bridson, 54, says she now has no option but to live in a tent in a back garden – and fears for the future of her grandson and her special needs daughter.

The Coroner of Middle, supported by police, turned up at her home in Hillside Avenue at 12 noon on Monday to enforce a court-ordered eviction.

Tearful Lynn said: ‘I don’t know what I’ve done - this feels very personal to me. They won’t even allow me to go back in to get my possessions.’

High Bailiff John Needham granted Douglas Council a court order in July for the repossession of the Hillside Avenue property and the recovery of rent arrears totalling £1,868 which were accruing at £16.86 a day, plus costs of £587.50. But Lynn says those arrears have been cleared.

And she says she is being evicted because she owns another property, a situation that has meant she has also been unable to claim income support.

That house in Cronk y Berry was left to her by her late father three years ago but is derelict and uninhabitable.

Lynn is legal guardian to her eight-year-old grandson Kayden and is also a carer for her grown-up daughter Kerry, who has special needs.

She said: ‘They are not bothered that my grandson, who has his own difficulties, is struggling badly at the moment.

‘What will happen to him? Because they are not going to let him live in a tent with me, which is my only option right now.’

An email seen by iomtoday from Sue Harrison, director of housing and property at Douglas Borough Council, states: ‘The council could not justify allowing a tenant to remain in social housing whilst owning another property and assets.

‘The council has allowed what is considered a reasonable period to enable alternative arrangements to be made.’

To compound her problems, Lynn – who stood as a Manx Labour Party candidate in Douglas North in the last general election under her married name Sirdefield – has been left partially sighted due to cataracts.

She failed to attend the eviction hearing due to a mix-up over dates, for which Lynn blames her eyesight loss.

Problems began when she was taken to court for rent arrears which she said had built up without her knowledge.

Now separated from her husband, friends and family stepped in to pay off her arrears.

But for six months now she has been living on charity, food vouchers, and with no money for heating and other bills.

She can’t get income support because social security says she could potentially receive £500 rental income from the house on Cronk y Berry.

Renovation work began on the house after her father died but the money soon ran out.

Lynn said Douglas Council itself has deemed that house uninhabitable. She doesn’t have to pay rates on it because there is no electricity and is missing walls and even ceilings upstairs.

‘We offered to put the derelict house up as collateral in case we hit more difficulties and got behind on the rent but they refused,’ she said.

Her case has been taken up by Douglas MHKs David Ashford, Clare Bettison and Chris Thomas, and David Cretney MLC.

Mr Ashford, a former Douglas councillor himself, said: ‘To think this is the 21st century. She is a sitting tenant. She doesn’t owe rent. There has been no change to the regulations on owning a second home. She will end up living in a tent in the back garden of a derelict property.

‘But my biggest concern is for a grandson who is a vulnerable child.

‘It’s in the hands of the council. They are the only people who can prevent this happening.’

Ironically, social security says Lynn would be eligible for income support if she moves into the tent in the back garden at Cronk y Berry.

Mr Cretney MLC said: ‘Each case should be decided on its merits.

‘But the council has determined on a course of action and are not prepared to reconsider.’

Another email sent by the council’s director of housing to Mr Cretney reads: ‘It is not that the council do not sympathise with the situation, but given the ownership of the property and other assets, and the breaches of tenancy, the council would have great difficulty in not finalising this matter in line with the possession order, particularly given the number of applicants in need on the housing waiting list.’

A social media campaign has been launched for donations of cash, skilled labour and materials to make Lynn’s home habitable for her family.

In a statement, Douglas Borough Council said eviction of tenants is only carried out as a last resort.

The authority said it had launched legal proceedings in June last year over breaches of the tenancy which had led to a court order for possession of the property.

It said this was a ‘private and confidential’ matter, but the tenant had a ‘history of irregular payments and repeatedly falling into arrears’.

The tenant chose not to be represented and out of four court hearings, attended only once, it said. In June 2017 the tenant failed to appear in court after amassing substantial arrears and having made no payments since March.

The possession order was extended by one month by the council to allow the tenant time to arrange alternative accommodation.

Douglas Council said ‘misleading assumptions’ posted on social media had been ‘unhelpful and inflammatory’.

Chairman of the housing committee Councillor Claire Wells said: ‘I would like to assure our tenants that repossession of any social housing property is the line of last resort, and that the seriousness of such action is never underestimated. However, we will take action where breaches occur.’

Hitting out a ‘sometimes defamatory and personal information’ posted on social media, the council leader Councillor Christian said: ‘I would urge anyone who wishes to challenge decisions of the council to do so through the proper channels. Let me make it quite clear, absolutely no communication will be conducted via social media.’