'We're being evicted from where we've called home for 55 years'

"It feels like there's a guillotine above our necks all the time," said Darren Marshall, who faces being evicted from the house he has called home for 55 years.

He has lived in the same house on Springfield Avenue, in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, since he was two months old.

Since the death of his mum in 2023, he and his brother Steven have been allowed to remain there without a formal tenancy agreement in place.

But now Havebury Homes, which owns the property, has told the brothers it wants it back by 13 August, although it will "help them explore an alternative housing option".

"Moving is stressful enough, but if you are having to move in an undignified way in a short space of time with nowhere to go, it's even more stressful," said Marshall.

"I had literally two sleepless nights where I didn't even get five minutes [when we found out] and I felt sick – in fact, I was sick several times."

Marshall and his family, including his brother Steven, moved into the house in 1970 and have been there ever since.

After their "loving dad" died from cancer in 2017, the tenancy agreement was passed to their "loving mum" – something which can be done only once under succession laws.

While this means the brothers have no legal right to remain at the home if Havebury wants it back, Marshall has called for "common sense and kindness" to prevail.

"Just let us stay here. It's a no brainer – the bills are getting paid, the rent's getting paid, and everything's above board," he added.

"Our family really runs through this avenue like Blackpool through a stick of rock – we have been here that long, for over half a century. So it is a horrible feeling."

According to Marshall, the household was a happy one, filled with love and joy. Saying goodbye to that will be far from easy.

"Every single memory that you have is based on the house – every family memory, Christmas, holiday, the various reincarnations of the garden," he said.

"So it weighs down on you and it's terrifying."

Marshall is particularly concerned about how leaving could affect Steven, 67, who he says is vulnerable and needs looking after.

He fears they could be split up and moved into different properties.

"West Suffolk Council do not give a damn about me. I can live under a tree as far as they're concerned, but they are supposed to at least get Steven sorted," he said.

"But I don't want to see Steven put into a hotel or a hostel – he's not very good at looking after himself and I think he'd struggle on his own. It will completely take him over."

The brothers were taken to court in March over the repossession of the house, with the judge ruling in favour of Havebury.

Since then a petition has been signed by more than 700 people calling for either Havebury to reconsider or the council to do more to support the pair.

"I get that they could get a family in there, but if you bring a family in, you are solving one problem but then causing two more," Marshall said.

"All we want is to go to bed and feel safe and not to be evicted on 13 August – but at the moment it just feels like there's a guillotine above our necks all the time. It just feels rotten."

Havebury Homes said it would "always work with residents to help them explore an alternative housing option".

"As a social landlord, we have a responsibility to make sure our homes are allocated fairly and in line with our allocations policy," a spokesperson said.

"This helps ensure that our homes are available to those with the greatest housing need."

Richard O'Driscoll, West Suffolk Council's cabinet member for housing, said the authority itself was not "in the process of evicting anyone".

"If someone was being evicted, we'd look to work with the landlord and people living in the property to see if [the situation] could be overcome [so they could] maintain the tenancy," he said.

"If that is neither possible or appropriate we would either support the tenant through a period of homelessness such as through temporary accommodation or advise them if private rent housing is more suitable to their means, and assist them with the latter if this is their choice.

"As a rule, while we advise members of a household on their options, we do not force any household to separate."

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