Petition to save 'friendliest guy' from moving out of Ladbroke Grove

Mr O'Mahoney moved into his home in 1985

A petition to save a man who cared for his mother from leaving his west London home following her death, has gained more than 80,000 signatures.

Alan O'Mahoney, 48, said he accepted he had a "moral obligation to leave" his four-bedroom house in Ladbroke Grove but wished to remain in the area.

Marija Grbic, 25, started the petition to help "the friendliest guy you could meet" who has suffered panic attacks.

Kensington and Chelsea Council said there was no threat of eviction.

Mr O'Mahoney has lived in his home on Oakworth Road for 36 years. He gave up his job of 24 years at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in 2014, to care full-time for his mother who had Alzheimer's disease.

He said following his mother's death last year in the middle of the pandemic, the prospect of having to leave the family home had caused "very debilitating" panic attacks and led to him having counselling for depression.

Alan O'Mahoney said he was not sleeping well and was suffering with panic attacks

"I feel terribly guilty moaning about these things - they're first world problems and I should be grateful for anything at the end of the day," he said.

"My moral conscience says it's not right to live in a four-bedroom house because there are families who are in need of a home but I'm just not well enough at the moment to be shoved anywhere.

"That puts a huge amount of pressure on me. I'm not equipped to surrender my whole support network, I haven't got it in me. I'm burnt out."

Latest figures from City Hall's London Plan show 36,129 new homes were made available across London 2018-19, which is 84% of the target.

Kensington and Chelsea had the lowest figure for any London borough with 115 completions.

Marija Grbic says she is "gobsmacked" by the response to the petition

Ms Grbic first met Mr O'Mahoney at the local dog park and struck up a friendship. She was inspired to start the petition to support "a funny, intelligent guy", who would always help others.

She said any decision to move him out of London would be "callous".

"He's got this positive energy about him that the young and the old get along with him and means so much to everyone in the area," she added.

"He always goes out of his way to help anyone and everyone. Everybody loves Alan."

'Demand outstrips supply'

Kensington and Chelsea Council's latest figures show there are more than 3,200 people on the housing waiting list and just 457 properties available, although 600 new homes are planned.

A spokesperson said: "We place great value in the strength and diversity of our communities, which are among our borough's greatest assets.

"We appreciate the connections our residents have to specific parts of Kensington and Chelsea and take those links into account when working with them to find a safe, healthy home.

"The demand for social housing in the borough far outstrips supply and there is a particularly pressing need for larger homes."

Mr O'Mahoney, who has asthma, said although it would be a "huge wrench" to move, he merely wanted the opportunity to rebuild his life and become a productive member of society again.

"I'm not looking for anything special but the ability to let me heal and get better."