Disabled man fears council have binned his family heirlooms

Adisabled man fears sentimental family heirlooms have been tossed out with the rubbish following a housing row with Angus Council.

Craig Barclay, 47, suffered a series of health setbacks in late 2017 which resulted in him living in the South Grange care h o m e’s rehabilitation unit in Monifieth.

T he wheelchair user reluctantly agreed to sign over his council home of 20 years in Carnoustie.

However, he says a friend who went to collect his personal belongings found the locks changed and he has been unable to find out what happened to his possessions.

Among the items which he believes have ended up in landfill are his mother’s engagement ring, the suit he wore to his parents’ funerals , family photographs, his father’s golfing trophies, and music memorabilia.

Angus Council says it has a storage procedure which tenants can take advantage of when a tenancy ends, but Mr Barclay insists he was never told about it.

He said: “A toaster or a fridge can be replaced, but these can’t.

“They have been so harsh and callous with me.

“It’s no way to treat someone who is unwell.

“We’re supposed to have a society that looks after our sick and disabled.”

Mr Barclay suffered a stroke about 10 years ago and made a good recovery. However, in late 2017 he collapsed and was taken into palliative care at Ninewells Hospital.

A tumour was found in his neck and he has been living in South Grange since early 2018.

He has not seen his home in Kinloch Street, Carnoustie, since then and claims he felt pressurised by Angus Council housing officers to give it up.

A date was arranged to have his possessions cleared from the home.

However, he said a friend who went to the property to collect his items found the locks had been changed.

Mr Barclay said other friends told him they had seen a skip in the garden filled with objects.

He said the ordeal had damaged his mental health.

He added: “I feel low and have really struggled with this. I wouldn’t even say it feels like I’ve been kicked in the teeth. It’s worse than that.

“They used my diagnosis to make life better for someone else.”

He is now planning legal action against the council and health board.

An Angus Council spokeswoman said: “We will not comment on individual cases or circumstances and ask the individual to contact us directly with any concerns or questions they may have.

We cannot end a tenancy without agreement or taking action at court. All tenancies terminated follow council policies and procedures.

“On the termination date where no keys are returned for a property, we change the locks and remove anything that is left. If there is anything of value, this is put into storage for a reasonable period and returned to the tenant if requested. If not it will then be disposed of or sold off to cover the costs of storage.”

A spokesperson for NHS Tay s i d e said: “Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to comment on matters relating to individual patients.

“The patient can contact our complaints and feedback team if they have any concerns.”

It’s no way to treat someone who is unwell

CONCERNED: Craig said he felt pressurised to hand the house he had been living in for 20 years back to Angus Council.