Bailiffs kick army wife out of home

Published 15 Aug 2010 09:00 2 Comments

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AN ARMY wife was left terrified as bailiffs smashed down her door to evict her and her eight-year-old daughter.

Four men from MODern Housing Solutions turned up at Miranda Whybrow's home in Rycroft, Windsor, and hammered on the door, getting no response they broke it down yesterday morning (Thursday).

The 45-year-old said: "I was told by people to lock myself in and pretend I wasn't in. It was really really frightening.

"At first it was loud knocking and then it sounded like hammering and then they broke in, came upstairs, found me and told me I had to leave."

She has lived in the army-provided house for nearly six years with husband, Sgt Martin Whybrow, a member of The Band of the Life Guards and daughter, Allegra.

However when Sgt Whybrow, separated from her, moving to Woolwich Barracks, she was ordered to leave the family home.

She tried to find accommodation through Windsor Housing, but was told the only thing available was a bed and breakfast in Slough or a caravan in Maidenhead.

Mrs Whybrow said: "The only thing that is stable in Allegra's life is her school I don't drive so a caravan in Maidenhead was useless.

"I don't want to bring her up in a trailer park as a single mum."

Mrs Whybrow's belongings littered the pavement outside her former home as she tried to move things into her friends' homes and bailiffs changed the locks.

Now she will be working with her ward councillor, Phillip Bicknell, and Windsor Housing to see if more suitable accommodation can be found.

Cllr Bicknell said: "Miranda called me this morning and I rushed around immediately I will stay here as long as she needs me and work with her and Windsor housing to see what can be done."

A Defence Estates spokesman said: "Mrs Whybrow was issued with a notice to vacate the property on December 15, 2009, that notice expired on March 22, 2010. The courts subsequently awarded the MOD a possession order, and we believe Mrs Whybrow has been given more than adequate time to make alternative arrangements for accommodation.

"Service Family Accommodation is provided for entitled Service personnel and their families.

"Occupants who lose that entitlement, such as leaving the Armed Forces or following the breakdown of a marriage, are required to vacate their property within a reasonable time."

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martinw
1 post
Aug 17, 15:29
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Well, that's the army for you - look after the soldiers (sometimes!) but if those macho men desert their wives, then the wives and children are none of the army's responsibility - they send in the bailiffs; no question of rehousing, helping or anything. Where is the duty of care here? Where is this lady's recourse to her human rights?

Totally negated by the "scratching the back of the mates" army mentality, and leave a wife and child - up to date with all rent etc, as I understand it - on the street, with the door broken down by bailiffs: DISGUSTING.

It would be interesting to know where the army husband was in all this - with his new lady, dumping his daughter and wife - is he in army paid for accommodation while his legal wife is put on the streets?

The army has behaved outrageously in protecting this arsehole of a husband and persecuting his wife and child - I can only assume the army has a legal get out to all EU law on the rights of individuals - this case says it shouldn't.

I am incandescent with rage over the husband and the army's failure to take anything like a moral or ethical standpoint. God save the Queen - the army has no concept of preserving family life.

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******
Aug 19, 15:00
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Bendover
1 post
Sep 1, 13:54
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I think you are missing the point slightly,

Mrs Whybrow was issued with a notice to vacate the property on ***December 15, 2009***, that notice expired on March 22, 2010. The courts subsequently awarded the MOD a possession order, and we believe Mrs Whybrow has been given more than adequate time to make alternative arrangements for accommodation.

This is the net result of being given stupid ideas by so called friends probably the ones who commented above.... "I was told by people to lock myself in and pretend I wasn't in".

In reality she has had 6 months to find alternative accommodation.

I wish her and Allegra the best of luck and perhaps think twice about heeding the advice of busy bodies!

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