Man tells of ‘humiliation’ after 10-year fight to clear his name

A recovering alcoholic has described a decade-long battle to clear his name after being “humiliated” on a council watch list.

The 43-year-old, who asked to be named only as Stevie, discovered a note left by a worker at his local authority in 2005 describing him as having a “personality disorder” and warning staff not to approach him alone.

Stevie only learned of the claims when requesting repairs to his home and was shocked to find out he had been on a list of potentially dangerous individuals for more than a decade.

It appears the council may also have broken data protection rules after failing to inform him, regularly review the indicator or give a date for his removal from the list.

Stevie said: “I only found out because my central heating kept breaking down and I phoned for a repair, only to be told I would have to wait as two workmen had to present at my house.

“After contacting my local councillor, I was told that I was on a joint visit recommendation and had been since I took up my tenancy.”

Stevie filed a subject access request for all information held on him by the council and received a response detailing unsubstantiated claims about his mental health.

“For someone at the council to be able to make claims as serious as that about me and blacklist me for 10 years without the information being confirmed is wrong,” he said.