A FAMILY of six claim they have been forced to become squatters after being evicted from their temporary accommodation by West Somerset District Council. Lianne and Lee Walker said they had nowhere else to go with their four children after being forced to leave their lodgings in Selbourne Place. So rather than be left out in the cold, the family is now living illegally in their former home. The family said they had been taken to court after falling into arrears with their contribution payments - money which is paid towards the cost of electricity and other day-to-day living expenses. Mrs Walker said they had always kept up to date with the payments until the end of last year, when they had to cover the cost of their children's birthdays and Christmas. She also claimed she was given incorrect advice by a housing charity and, as a result, failed to attend the court hearing which resulted in their eviction. She told the Free Press: "We've been in temporary accommodation for two years and we've always paid everything we owed in full. "We fell into contribution arrears. I suppose it was my fault as I'm depressed and I tend to push things under the carpet, but we would have been homeless if we hadn't got back in here." She said the family had no savings and no income other than their benefits but had been told they had made themselves intentionally homeless by failing to keep up to date with their contribution payments. Mrs Walker said: "I feel like I'm losing the plot. We could have robbed shops to get this money, but we didn't because we're not like that. "We've been refused crisis loans even though we wouldn't be able to feed our kids if we have to pay this money." Mrs Walker estimates the family now owes the authority more than £1,200 in both arrears and court costs. Council chief executive Tim Howes was not available for comment as the Free Press went to print.
