Mum's life 'turned upside down' by council relocation

Janelle Clarke said Redbridge Council had "dumped" the family in Slough

A mum of two has said her children face a four-hour journey to and from school after the family was relocated from north west London to Berkshire.

Janelle Clarke said she was evicted from her previous accommodation in Harlesden but the only council housing she was offered was in Slough, where she had no friends or family.

She said her life had been "turned upside down".

Redbridge Council, which manages the flat in Slough, said it was "grappling with a severe housing crisis" but that Ms Clarke's case was being reviewed.

Ms Clarke said she had a "good" life for her and her children in London

Ms Clarke, who cannot work due to mobility issues including scoliosis, lived in Harlesden, London, for eight years.

"I had a pretty good life [that] I built for myself," she said.

Her son, who is autistic, began attending a special needs school and her daughter joined Michaela Community School in Wembley.

Then, in November 2022, she after having to leave her previous and spent nine months staying in hotels before being offered accommodation in Slough.

'In hell'

"If I didn't take this accommodation they would say that I made myself intentionally homeless so I didn't really have a choice," said Ms Clarke.

She said she did not want to move her children to different schools because she did not know how long she would be in Slough for, and "they're already in hell".

"The schools where they are now are the only thing that they have," she said.

Ms Clarke's daughter attends Michaela Community School in Wembley

Ms Clarke said her children have to leave for school around 05:00 BST every morning.

She said she was trying to support them and stay positive, but being in Slough was "very lonely".

"When they moved me here, they took everything away from me and my kids," she said.

A spokesperson for Redbridge Council said: "The scarcity of affordable homes has forced us to rely on temporary accommodation, much of which is outside of London."

They added that a "resettlement officer" would contact Ms Clarke to offer additional support.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said it was giving £1.2bn to councils to help them support people like Ms Clarke, adding they planned to build more homes, including social housing.