“Ealing council evicted me weeks after I was stabbed – now I’m sleeping in parks and fearing another attack”

A woman was left sleeping on the streets just weeks after she was allegedly stabbed in the face after Ealing Council evicted her over rent arrears. On 12 April, Ealing Council evicted the remaining Meath and Marston Court tenants with the help of bailiffs after the shipping container yards were decommissioned.

However, Natalie, who asked that her full name not be published for her safety, was ordered to leave her flat after a long-running legal battle over what the council described as “substantial rent arrears”. The timing of the eviction was particularly bad for Natalie, who in January claims she suffered a horrific facial injury from a broken bottle, which she claims was a deliberate stabbing.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the 42-year-old says she does not feel safe after being forced out of her home of four-and-a-half years because she claims her alleged attacker is known. to spend a lot of time in the area. “I’m not safe to be on the streets because (my alleged attacker) is still around,” she said.

READ MORE: West London mum faces ‘abyss’ as frantic search for new home ahead of eviction

Now sleeping in local parks, Natalie said: “It’s really cold because I only have what I have on (a light coat). I don’t have a sleeping bag because it wouldn’t give me extra time to pack. things together. It’s not pleasant.” Natalie was also forced to abandon two cats that the council says its officers were feeding until she asked the RSPCA to take them in, when she did not return to pick them up.

She said: “(The council) sent me a message saying if I don’t come and collect my cats they will be reported to the RSPCA. What can I do with two cats? I can’t keep them in the park with me. .”

After the alleged stabbing, Natalie claims she asked to have an extension to the April 12 eviction deadline so she could properly prepare. She claims a member of staff at the property agreed to this: “I was told I would have a two-week extension due to the incident.”

On the day of the eviction, she claims the staff member reiterated that she would get the extra time before abruptly withdrawing it. She continued: “Because of my circumstances he said I could have the two weeks, but 20 minutes later he came back and said I had to be out in half an hour.”

Suddenly, Natalie claims she had bailiffs demanding she pack her things and leave. She says that meant she wasn’t ready for life on the streets. The council claims he simply did not return to collect his belongings after being given 28 days to do so.

“It’s not going well in my mind, to be honest. I’m mentally exhausted,” she told LDRS after sleeping rough for 10 days. “(The police) had installed a box, an alarm box, for my safety (in the shipping container apartment), but now I’m not safe.”

Natalie has a special place she hides at night, spending each night praying she won’t get hurt and braving the temperamental spring conditions. “It’s not really nice, especially for hygiene situations and all that. Especially when it’s raining and cold, not having a shelter is really hard.”

Natalie claims she didn’t know about the rent arrears

Natalie had arrived at Marston Court four years ago after fleeing domestic violence. She was homeless for almost a year until St Mungo’s charity helped her find somewhere to live.

Of her time in the containers, Natalie told LDRS, “It’s not worse than being homeless, but it’s still pretty rough.” When LDRS spoke to Natalie, she was still trying to find a shelter to stay in. She said: “They tried to get me to a shelter but it takes time.”

The council says the eviction was due to Natalie’s rent arrears, but the tenant claims she had no idea, despite the council claiming the eviction process had been ongoing for eight months. The council also claims she was visited a week before the eviction to remind her it was happening. Natalie claims she has been paying £150 a week in rent from her Universal credit and was shocked when she was told she was in arrears.

“I don’t know why they waited four and a half years to tell me about my rent arrears; only when they were dismantled (the estate) did I find out).”

A spokesman for Ealing Council said: “We were required by law to serve all households in Meath and Marston Courts with eviction notices as part of the decommissioning process. For Natalie, this arrangement did not apply as prior to the decommissioning agreement in November 2023, she received a notice to quit based on substantial rent arrears and that is why she was evicted.

“The eviction process took place at Brentford County Court and lasted for at least eight months, with the final eviction taking place on April 12, 2024. At each stage, Natalie was served with court notices of pending deadlines, along with conducting the eviction on the day of the eviction, the bailiffs informed her that the clerk had informed them that they had visited in person a week before to properly inform her of the eviction date.

“She advised that she was going to her sister’s and would return to pick up her things. She was informed that her belongings could be left in the apartment for no more than 28 days. She also left two cats which were fed and cared for by Ealing Council Officers, although they advised her she would return and collect her belongings and cats, therefore the RSPCA was not contacted about her cats.

“We advise Natalie to approach our housing solutions team who will be able to advise her on her housing options and make a homelessness claim to assess what statutory housing obligation she may be owed (if any ).

LDRS contacted Natalie for an update following the council’s response. She said she was still sleeping rough and confirmed that she doesn’t have a sister, but a close friend from church whom she sometimes calls “sister.” She has also now managed to collect one of her cats. The Met Police have confirmed that one person has been charged in connection with the alleged attack on Natalie in January.

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