‘I FEAR WE MAY LOSE OUR HOME’
WOMAN SAYS HER FAMILY ARE VICTIMS OF ‘HATE CRIME’
A HULL woman fears her “dysfunctional” family may be forced on to the streets by Hull City Council.
Sarah Duffin and her family, , including disabled brother Mat- thew and mum Audrey, face legal l proceedings after complaints of nui- sance and antisocial behaviour at t their property in Willerby Road.
But Sarah, 36, claims that the Duf- fin family are not intending to cause e trouble to those around them and d that the noise has come from the e family home due to her brother’s s learning difficulties.
As a result of this, she feels that t the Duffins are being subjected to o “hate crime” as a result of council l intervention.
Hull City Council said it is not seeking to evict the family and is working with partner agencies to resolve the matter.
“Me and my family may become homeless as we have been summonsed for antisocial behaviour and noise,” said Sarah.
“We argue a lot. We fight a lot. But that’s not the point.
“The point is that we should not be getting called dysfunctional and being discriminated against and threatened because of the health problems that my brother suffers from.
“It is a hate crime as my brother b h has testicular and stomach cancer, heart problems, behavioural problems and is blind and has learning difficulties.”
She added: “There have been these complaints about noise and antisocial behaviour, but no one knows what it’s like living with a handicapped adult with long life brain damage.
“We are just trying our best to get by, but now my family are living in fear of having nowhere to live.
“It’s making me and my family think about selling everything in my home, and my greenhouse and shed, just to get money to move.
“I’m ’ still ll l looking k f for any jobs b and d getting turned down even for cleaning, but I am trying to stick to my CBT therapy and gardening.”
Sarah has been searching for a job since she left school with no qualifications 20 years ago and remains on benefits despite applying for 65 jobs in a single day.
Even though Sarah has attended many courses, she claims that she cannot find work because she has no practical experience, despite sending off hundreds of job applications each week.
The lack of a job, plus problems with the council has worsened her anxiety and she has previously felt suicidal about her situation.
The desperate jobseeker, whose dream job is “selling jam and curds by the roadside”, previously told the Mail that she just wants to be “given a chance”.
“Ideally I want to work in catering. I’d love a job selling jams and curds either by the roadside or from the market with the fresh produce I could grow in my greenhouse,” she said previously.
“But I really will do anything, but keep getting knock back after knock back.”
“I’ve done courses on employability skills, health and safety, catering and food hygiene, English, maths, IT and I’ve done so many different types of volunteering, including at charity shops, but none of it has got me anywhere.
“It’s so disheartening and I don’t know what I’d do without my mum as she is my rock and otherwise I’d just give in.
“It’s boring and I get fed up of being home all day, but I do my best to help my mum, who is 64 and a carer for my older brother.
“I don’t know what else I can do if anyone out there could give me a job I wouldn’t hesitate to accept it.”
Hull City Council confirmed that legal proceedings have started against the Duffin family, but that they will not be evicted.
A spokeswoman for the authority said: “Hull City Council has commenced legal proceedings following complaints of nuisance and antisocial behaviour at a property in Willerby Road.
“Eviction of the tenant and their family is not being sought and the council continues to work with its partner agencies to resolve the matter.
“As the proceedings are ongoing, the council is unable to comment further.”