Decades of hoarding made house 'a no-go area'

A woman who struggled with hoarding for 30 years said the upstairs of her house became "virtually a no-go area".

Shirley Neale developed the problem during a difficult relationship with her late father and eventually filled up most rooms in her house in Harwich, Essex.

She said: "Anything that was a bargain. If it was worth 10p and there were 10 of them, I would buy the whole 10 of them. If you get a bargain, it doesn't argue back with you. It just, sort of, sits there and is nice to you."

Your Living Room has helped her to clear most of her home, and Shirley, who temporarily moved in with her mother, said she was doing well and hoped to soon move back.

The organisation said the pandemic had triggered a rise in hoarding among people and urged anyone experiencing the problem to come forward.

If you or someone you know needs help due to hoarding, you can find more information here.

  • Essex