Gateshead: Eviction of man, 67, from childhood home paused by volunteers' help

A stranger came from Middlesbrough to cut Ken May's hair and trim his beard after learning of his plight

Volunteers have rallied to help a man threatened with eviction because his house had fallen into disrepair.

Ken May, 67, has lived in the council house in Wardley, Gateshead since 1955, when he was one year old.

He was told he could apply to stay if he cleaned it up and removed a petrol generator, gas canisters and car batteries he has used for power since his mains electricity was cut off.

"It's the kindness of strangers - you wouldn't believe it," Mr May said.

"Its astonishing the empathy people have shown me."

He said between 20 and 30 people had come from as far as Middlesbrough and Alnwick in Northumberland to help renovate the house in Standfield Gardens.

Three local women even clubbed together to buy him a new bed.

"A lad came through with a trimmer and cut down all the brambles," Mr May said.

"A barber saw the thing on Facebook and came up from Middlesbrough and gave me a hair cut and beard trim."

'Intelligent, lovely man'

At a court hearing in September Mr May was given 28 days to leave the house but was told he could apply for eviction proceedings to be halted if he showed evidence he had cleaned it up.

A district judge said the storage of the generator, gas canisters and wind turbine-charged car batteries was "dangerous".

Correspondence seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service said Gateshead Council will not apply for a warrant of possession for the next six months.

But it said Mr May must keep his home clean and tidy, remove the car batteries and have his electricity reconnected.

He is also required to allow access for regular inspections and repairs.

Trainee social worker Claire Hamilton has been helping Mr May liaise with volunteers and the council and said he was a "very intelligent, lovely, lovely man".

There had been "a lot of volunteers coming in and out of the estate and a lot of disruption" for Mr May's neighbours but they had been "very supportive", she said.