'Mum was killed - now I may lose our family home'

Lucie said she and her children were "suffering immensely" due to threat of losing the family home

The daughter of a woman who was stabbed to death has urged a housing association to let her succeed the tenancy of their family home.

Rita Lambourne, who lived in a Southern Housing (SH) property in East Sussex, at times with her daughter and three grandchildren, died in February.

Now her grieving daughter Lucie Lambourne says the housing association is refusing to allow them to take on the family home in Bexhill, which she adds is amplifying the "heartbreak" of losing her mother.

SH said it extended its "heartfelt sympathies to Ms Lambourne's family during this difficult time" and that it is following policy.

"While we recognise the personal connections the family may have with the home, we must also be guided by the policies that ensure fairness and support for those in greatest housing need," it said.

The housing association - which has 80,000 homes across south east England, London, the Isle of Wight and the Midlands - said the property was part of its social housing stock and exists to provide secure and affordable homes for those who need them most.

'That absolutely broke me'

Lucie told the BBC the family moved to the house 23 years ago as a fresh start after her father died in a "demolition accident".

She grew up there with her sister, moved out in 2019 and returned in 2020 with her own children, who have spent a large part of their lives at the house.

Lucie said she later left because the house was overcrowded, but had planned to swap her current SH flat with her mum's, which she added the pair had agreed on and is allowed under certain conditions.

However, Lucie claimed the housing association told her this was no longer possible after her mum's death.

Rita Lambourne was killed in February

She claimed SH asked her if she and her children could remove their things from the property and requested she hand over her keys.

"That absolutely broke me," she said.

SH told the BBC it "did not receive a mutual exchange application from either Rita or Lucie and there is nothing on record to suggest they were considering swapping homes".

The mother-of-three said she and her children were "suffering immensely" as they had lost a place of love and comfort.

"We are doing everything we can to try and come home," she added.

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In a statement, SH said none of Rita's "adult children were residents of the property, and as such, there is no legal right to succession."

It continued that Lucie, who was not recorded as a household member at her mum's address, already had a home "so is not in housing need".

"At present, there are nearly 1,400 individuals and families on the housing waiting list in the Rother district," SH continued, detailing she signed a tenancy agreement with them for another property on 31 January.

"Many of these are living in unsuitable or temporary accommodation, waiting for the chance to build a stable future," the housing association added.

A man has been charged with Rita Lambourne's murder.

Donald Excell, 48, of Seabourne Road in Bexhill, is due to appear in court on 15 May for a plea hearing, according to Sussex Police.