0:00:02 > 0:00:03Hello, will you just let me in?
0:00:03 > 0:00:06DOG BARKS 'The law says everyone has the right to a safe place to live.'
0:00:06 > 0:00:09I wouldn't keep my dog there is the honest truth.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15'But for thousands of people across the UK, the reality can be more hovel than home.'
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Yeah, this is falling to bits. There's nothing I can do.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20'In the battle for decent housing...'
0:00:20 > 0:00:22We've just got conditions that are just appalling.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25I don't know how the people are coping, to be quite honest.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28'..it's local housing officers who are on the front line.'
0:00:28 > 0:00:29If somebody had have died here,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31you would have been standing in Coroner's Court.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37'I'm Matt Allwright, and I'm back with the housing enforcers.'
0:00:37 > 0:00:40- 15 people in this house? - 15 people in total living in here.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44'I'll be with them as they tackle problem properties and slum conditions.'
0:00:44 > 0:00:46It really does look shantytown.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Yeah, it's not up to standard.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52'As they deal with dodgy landlords, nightmare neighbours
0:00:52 > 0:00:53'and everything in between.'
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Oh, my God, straightaway there's the smell of dog muck.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59You never know what you're going to find.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02'Doing their best to help those in need of a happy and healthy home.'
0:01:02 > 0:01:04- Give me a hug. - THEY LAUGH
0:01:08 > 0:01:09That's the one...
0:01:09 > 0:01:13'Today we find what could be Britain's filthiest home.'
0:01:13 > 0:01:16The overwhelming smell here is disgusting.
0:01:16 > 0:01:22Here we are, standing on a house-high pile of faeces and cider cans.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26'In Suffolk, prize veg needs protection.'
0:01:26 > 0:01:28If there are rats,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31then you're going to be sort of responsible to get them dealt with.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33- Yeah, I understand, yeah. - Is that OK?
0:01:33 > 0:01:36'And we provide a solution for the problems of this homeless family.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38- Give me a hug. - THEY LAUGH
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Every year, more of us rent the homes that we live in,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50and every year, rents go up.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53For those of us choosing cheaper housing, that can mean
0:01:53 > 0:01:57enduring living conditions so bad that they break the law.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01I'm working alongside the men and women whose job it is
0:02:01 > 0:02:03to uphold those laws.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05They...are the housing enforcers.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12'In Kent, I'm spending the day with Swale Borough Council
0:02:12 > 0:02:14'housing officer Glyn Pritchard,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17'inspecting a private residence that's now empty
0:02:17 > 0:02:20'but has still being attracting complaints from the neighbours.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23'Glyn's got 25 years' experience under his belt,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26'so it's a pretty safe bet he's seen it all in his time...
0:02:26 > 0:02:28'Until today, that is.'
0:02:28 > 0:02:30That's the one.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Erm...you can see from the outside
0:02:32 > 0:02:36that normally when it looks worse than the rest, there's usually reasons for it.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39So, what's the scenario here? Why are we here?
0:02:39 > 0:02:42The neighbours complained last year.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46The police entered the property to try and find if he was in there,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49cos the resident hadn't been seen for a while.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51So, there was concerns over him.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55They then contacted us to say there was a problem with the condition
0:02:55 > 0:02:58of the property, so we then started to try and contact the owner.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00He wasn't living at the property.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03We couldn't get in, but we could see through the window.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Just so I'm clear again, it was in a state a year ago
0:03:07 > 0:03:11- and no-one's been in, we think, in that year?- No.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15We have served legal notice twice to try and resolve the issue
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and ultimately he still didn't do the work,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21so we've had to get a warrant to get in and now we're actually
0:03:21 > 0:03:24executing the warrant to get into the property.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27'OK, now I'm really worried.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31'Glyn wants us to enter a property that hasn't been touched in over a year with no idea
0:03:31 > 0:03:35'of what's inside and he's clearly taking it very seriously.'
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Protective mask, gloves...
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And what I will do is...
0:03:41 > 0:03:43We tend to spray ourselves just in case of any insects,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45bugs, fleas or anything like that.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48Top to bottom with it.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51After doing it 25 years, I cover myself.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53THEY LAUGH
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- Insurance! - I've never taken anything home yet.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Right. These are nice, aren't they?
0:04:00 > 0:04:01- Here we go. Enter. - You lead the way.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03I'll lead the way and see what we can find.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06'Despite the protective gear, I'm still feeling nervous,'
0:04:06 > 0:04:10'especially when I discover how Glyn's expecting us to get into the house.'
0:04:10 > 0:04:13They've got a window open at the moment, which is...
0:04:13 > 0:04:14- Is that the way in? - That's one way in.- Right.
0:04:16 > 0:04:22And the other way is the door, which is a very tight squeeze.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23That's not much of a choice, is it, really?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Glyn, you know what I really like is amongst all this stuff,
0:04:28 > 0:04:34which is already humming, there are just...there are two air fresheners.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37'Glyn's decided that we're going to have to go through the window with this one.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40'I mean, what could possibly go wrong?'
0:04:41 > 0:04:42Oh, my God!
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Now you've seen it.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46That's just like...
0:04:46 > 0:04:49It's about four or five foot high.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50Oh, my God!
0:04:51 > 0:04:53That's incredible.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58All I can see is cider cans, videos and tissues.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01How can one person drink so much cider?
0:05:02 > 0:05:04'And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse...'
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Oh, no!
0:05:07 > 0:05:08We're not sure,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11but those could be full of other things
0:05:11 > 0:05:13other than food in Tupperware.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15That's not food in there. That's...
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Why put it in Tupperware? Why keep it?!
0:05:19 > 0:05:22That's the opposite of what you have to do with that!
0:05:22 > 0:05:26You're supposed to flush it away, not preserve it!
0:05:27 > 0:05:30'Faced with a cocktail of cider cans and human waste,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33'I'm not looking forward to going inside.'
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- Are you going in that way? - I'm going to go in...
0:05:45 > 0:05:50It is fairly high and we're looking at least five foot in here.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51Right.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54I'm going to have to... I'm going to have to go in.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57If Glyn... If Glyn can do this, I can do this.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02I'm going in.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Get in from the outside. Hold on to the top.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11'It's not the most graceful way to get in,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14'but it's nothing compared to what I'm about to face.'
0:06:17 > 0:06:23There's like... The only safe place to step here is on videos.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26If you're stepping on videos, DVDs,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28then you just about get away with it.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Everything else...
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Everything else is disgusting.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35The overwhelming smell here...
0:06:35 > 0:06:38is of fermenting apples and faeces.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43I've never been able to touch a ceiling standing on the rubbish before,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45so that's a new one on me.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47- It's difficult to avoid it.- Well...
0:06:47 > 0:06:50I mean, at that point there, that's got to be five foot.
0:06:50 > 0:06:56It's probably the one I've seen the highest with alcohol cans.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Faeces isn't an issue. I've, you know, that's...
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Faeces is an issue, Glyn!
0:07:01 > 0:07:06Where are you going to start with this? How can you begin to do this?
0:07:06 > 0:07:09'Glyn's experience is doing a good job of keeping him calm -
0:07:09 > 0:07:11'well, calmer than me anyway.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13'Personally I'm not sure I would ever be able to get used to
0:07:13 > 0:07:17'a scene like this, even after 25 years on the job.'
0:07:18 > 0:07:19You are kidding me!
0:07:19 > 0:07:21I mean, don't get me wrong,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24of a weekend, I enjoy watching a film, yeah?
0:07:24 > 0:07:27I even enjoy the odd can of cider from time to time.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30This is taking it too far!
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Do you know what I saw here down here mixed in amongst this?
0:07:33 > 0:07:38It's a set of those clippers for doing your nasal hair.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Yeah, I wouldn't want to use them now, though.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43No, but I would say that's fine tuning. When you've got a pile...
0:07:43 > 0:07:46A five foot pile in your living room of cider cans,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50faeces in Tupperware, don't worry about the nasal hair thing.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Where are we going?
0:07:55 > 0:08:01Well, at the moment, I think possibly the safest bet is upstairs.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06'Join me later to discover if it can possibly get any worse.'
0:08:06 > 0:08:11Here we are, standing on a house-high pile of faeces.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15There's definitely evidence of mice, rats...
0:08:15 > 0:08:17This is like a combat zone.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20It's like he's declared war on the house and himself.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Suffolk -
0:08:28 > 0:08:30home to picture postcard villages
0:08:30 > 0:08:33and quintessential English country gardens,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36but today housing officer Andrew Weavers has been called to one of the
0:08:36 > 0:08:40most beautifully kept gardens in one of the county's prettiest villages
0:08:40 > 0:08:44by a green-fingered tenant having trouble with his prize-winning patch.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46We've had a...
0:08:46 > 0:08:49a complaint from, er...
0:08:50 > 0:08:52..a tenant about another neighbour,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54who happens to have an overgrown garden.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I think the person that's made the complaint is a fairly keen gardener,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59so he's probably got high standards anyway.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04High standards or not, both neighbours are council tenants,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07so it's down to Andrew to investigate.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10But once he arrives, his first impression of the neighbouring
0:09:10 > 0:09:12property is actually pretty good.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I can't really see much of the...
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Unless you were looking out the front.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22I'll go and have a quick word with the person that made the complaint,
0:09:22 > 0:09:23just to let him know I'm dealing with it.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Andrew's been called in by tenant Janet Hubbard...
0:09:29 > 0:09:33- Mrs Hubbard? Do you remember me? Andrew from the council?- Yes.- Hello.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35..and her husband, Ralph.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37- You've got a problem with your neighbour.- Yes.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38It's an overgrown garden.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Just had a look at the front quickly
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- and I can't see too much going on out there.- No?
0:09:42 > 0:09:46- I know you pride yourself on your garden.- I do.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48So, there's quite a high standard you've set, really,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50so I just wanted to know, really, from you,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53what's causing you a nuisance and what the problem is.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56It's actually all the furniture she's got there.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58- Right. Furniture, yeah?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01The pile of junk at the end of his neighbour's garden might not
0:10:01 > 0:10:04be doing much for the view, but that is not the problem.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10- They've been eating my courgettes, my marrows and cucumbers.- Who has?
0:10:10 > 0:10:15- The rats...- So, the rats are sort of getting into the furnishings...
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Yeah. My garden and that.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- If you'd like to have a look, I'll show you.- I'll have a look.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Obviously if there are some furnishings out there,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26then maybe they've got to go, because they are the things that
0:10:26 > 0:10:29they find all nice and warm to go and sleep in, isn't it?
0:10:29 > 0:10:33And by the look of things, Ralph is a pretty serious gardener.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Although the rest of the neighbour's garden isn't exactly a tip,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39the furniture shouldn't be there.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42It's not an overgrown garden, by any stretch of the imagination,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- apart from that little bottom bit. - Yeah, that's it.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49- If they can get that cleared up. That's where the rats are, coming off the field into there.- Mmm.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- Then the rats come from there into my garden.- Yeah.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55I was going to be a bit more panicky
0:10:55 > 0:10:57if there was, like, soft furnishings and carpet.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- Well, you don't know what's under that heap.- No, you don't.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03You're sure that's not the predator after your vegetables?
0:11:03 > 0:11:05No, that ain't her!
0:11:05 > 0:11:08It should be easy enough to sort this situation out.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11- It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be, if I'm honest.- No?
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Have you spoken to her about this subject? Have you sort of...?
0:11:13 > 0:11:15I was talking to her son-in-law once.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17I said, "Would you get it cleared away?"
0:11:17 > 0:11:19He said, "I will do in time."
0:11:19 > 0:11:21So, there's ways and means through the council,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23so you can get that job done.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Yeah, but we're not always the answer. We're not...
0:11:26 > 0:11:28You know, it's often the tenant's responsibility.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31But after all the hard work he's put into his vegetable patch,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34it seems Ralph might be running out of patience.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- What would you say to me if I left all my garden...- Clear it up.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41- ..in rubbish?- Clear it up.- Grow up. - Clear it up.- Yeah, get it up.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43- Yeah.- Tell her that, then.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45That's what... OK, that's what I'll do.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49And just so he can appreciate exactly what is at stake here,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53he's insistent that Andrew samples the quality of his un-nibbled produce.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55I hope they are prize-winning vegetables?
0:11:55 > 0:11:57RALPH LAUGHS
0:11:57 > 0:12:01- That one won't give you indigestion. - Oh, that's all right, then.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- And that's an ordinary one. - This is a bit healthy for me! - ANDREW LAUGHS
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- Well, that'll do that.- Lovely job. Paid me off, thank you very much.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13As he heads next door, Andrew's determined to keep things
0:12:13 > 0:12:17as friendly as possible, but it seems Ralph might have other ideas.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- We'll have a chat. - Yeah, have a word.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23And see if we can make it as gentle as possible.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- You'd better take that cucumber with you.- Why is that? Protection?
0:12:27 > 0:12:28Yeah, hit her on the head!
0:12:33 > 0:12:36I think I might have to declare these when I go back,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39cos you're not supposed to really get gifts as a council officer,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41but sometimes they are hard to refuse.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43I'm not an expert, I don't work in environmental health,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46but that's really not as bad as I was expecting.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Coming up - it looks like the rats haven't just come for dinner,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52they may also be staying the night.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55And obviously this shed with the mattress in
0:12:55 > 0:12:58would probably sort of harbour some pests.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Earlier, in Swale, I joined housing officer Glyn Pritchard
0:13:07 > 0:13:10inspecting the worst house I've ever seen,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12abandoned by its owner more than a year ago.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15No!
0:13:16 > 0:13:18That's not food in there.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Why put it in Tupperware?
0:13:20 > 0:13:26The overwhelming smell here is of fermenting apples and faeces.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30'The living room is in an absolutely shocking state.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36'And things don't improve as we pick our way upstairs.'
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Oh, my God! There's, like, a whole thing of clothes.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46- Now, we're into... This is the wardrobe area.- Yeah.- Oh, my God.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51I think this is probably going to be it,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53because every room's the same.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55That room you can't get into.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00That room is exactly the same as downstairs.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03'And it appears the toilet arrangements are the same up here too.'
0:14:05 > 0:14:09- All the excrement, everything, is in bags.- Oh...- There's an old quilt.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12There's definitely evidence of mice, rats...
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Even the rats wouldn't live in this.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19This is like a combat zone.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22It's like he's declared war on the house and himself.
0:14:23 > 0:14:29Here we are, standing on a, you know, a house-high pile of faeces
0:14:29 > 0:14:30and cider cans.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36The smell is overwhelming, cos downstairs it was mostly cider.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38- Up here, it's... - Up here, you've definitely got...
0:14:38 > 0:14:40This is where we're into...
0:14:40 > 0:14:43This is why I won't go any further now, because you've definitely got
0:14:43 > 0:14:46all the excrement up here, which is where the problems have been.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48I haven't seen anything like this. It's just the sheer...
0:14:48 > 0:14:52quantity...of stuff.
0:14:52 > 0:14:57And then I think possibly, the only clear place is the loft.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01What do we need to assess, realistically, looking at this job?
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Realistically now, this is a full house clearance.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07So, it's a contractor in and literally,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10they are going to have to strip the whole lot.
0:15:10 > 0:15:16There is probably nothing that is salvageable at all in here.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20I can't imagine that you could even leave the floorboards in this place.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Everything's got to be deep-cleansed to get it back to any kind of...
0:15:24 > 0:15:27We work on a basis... Get the rubbish out first
0:15:27 > 0:15:30and then we go from there and then just work on that process.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35'It might be because of the shock of the mess or
0:15:35 > 0:15:37'the smell of a year's worth of human waste,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40'but either way, it's really hard to get my head round what could have
0:15:40 > 0:15:45'happened to the owner that would make him treat his own home in this way.'
0:15:46 > 0:15:49You know, we've had hoarders before that we've seen, and we've seen,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53you know, people who clearly have, you know, illnesses that they're
0:15:53 > 0:15:56trying to get past which affect their behaviour and the rest of it.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- What's going on with somebody that lives like this?- We don't know.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01I mean, do you ever, I know this is not your job,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03your job is to come here, make it better,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06but you can't come in somewhere like this and not think to yourself,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09"What on earth is going on in this guy's head?"
0:16:09 > 0:16:11The thing is, without being able to talk to him,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13usually you can assess, you can find,
0:16:13 > 0:16:18but on this instance we just cannot even get that, you know,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21dialogue going with him, so we need to work from there.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25At what point does he lose the right to have this property?
0:16:25 > 0:16:28I mean, it's going to be affecting your next-door neighbours
0:16:28 > 0:16:32and if he comes back in and does the same thing again,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35at some point do you lose the right to own this property?
0:16:35 > 0:16:39If we can get a debt on the property under certain circumstances,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43we can go through an enforced sale-type procedure.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46We can work with him, being an empty property,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49to bring it up to standard and possibly get him to rent it out.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54And ultimately compulsory purchase is something that is there,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56but that is going to be a long, drawn-out process.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Because the work that it's going to take to put this back
0:17:00 > 0:17:03into any kind of habitable form is going to be very expensive, isn't it?
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- Yeah.- I mean, we're talking about thousands.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Just the clearance will probably be in the thousands.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Have we done everything we need to do in this property?
0:17:11 > 0:17:13I can't go any further and I can't take you any further!
0:17:13 > 0:17:15THEY LAUGH
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Can we please go? Can we...?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20I can't see any more of this and I certainly can't smell any more.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24'It is a tragic situation, but the pressing problem now is how to
0:17:24 > 0:17:29'sort this place out so it's no longer affecting the neighbours.'
0:17:29 > 0:17:30Oh, God!
0:17:31 > 0:17:33MATT GASPS
0:17:34 > 0:17:36BOTH PANT
0:17:37 > 0:17:40I... I've never seen... I've never seen anything like that.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Tissues, Tupperware...
0:17:42 > 0:17:45..and just terrible, terrible filth.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46You know, if it was...
0:17:46 > 0:17:50If it was standing by itself, freestanding, detached...
0:17:50 > 0:17:52My honest...
0:17:52 > 0:17:56My honest reaction would just be, "Knock the whole thing down!
0:17:56 > 0:18:00"Just put everything into a skip and just get rid of it."
0:18:00 > 0:18:04'But fortunately, Glyn's 25 years of experience means
0:18:04 > 0:18:07'he's able to offer a more practical solution,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11'one that involves making the owner take responsibility for this mess.'
0:18:11 > 0:18:12We'll get it cleared.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14It will be reasonably expensive,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17but we will be recovering it off the owner.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19He's had the opportunity to clear it.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22We've given him two notices in the past, hasn't done it,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24and we're left with no alternative.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28That's going to be the next step, to get this place back into use is...
0:18:28 > 0:18:29That's our main aim.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33To satisfy and keep things from the neighbours so they are happier.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35I really appreciate it. And you can have your gloves back.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38- We'll find some clean ones for you next time.- Thank you very much!
0:18:40 > 0:18:43'That's the other important thing about this disgusting tale.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46'It's one thing to destroy your own standard of living.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50'It's quite another to start affecting your neighbours too.'
0:18:50 > 0:18:54So, you've lived next door to all of that. How has that been for you?
0:18:54 > 0:18:59- It's just awful and it turned into a tourist attraction.- Really?
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- It really did.- What, you've got people coming here to see that?
0:19:02 > 0:19:05They were coming up, strolling up the garden path, looking through
0:19:05 > 0:19:09the window, because people could not believe what was in there.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13It is quite extraordinary, but just to be clear,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- you've had mice coming across?- Yeah.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19- And...- Rats in the garden as big as cats.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21You knew it was bad when the postman, he said,
0:19:21 > 0:19:25"That's it, I'm not delivering any more, cos I cannot get up this garden path."
0:19:25 > 0:19:28I mean, the smell coming from there.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- I mean, I can smell it now.- Yeah.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35- You've got that all day every day. - Well, you get used to it.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37'Yeah, no-one should have to get used to it.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41'Catch up later to see how Glyn manages to get a grip on the grime.'
0:19:41 > 0:19:44It is something that we've got to do and we have got to...
0:19:44 > 0:19:47We've just found a dead rat.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50He's been dead a fair while by the looks of it.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Back in Suffolk, Housing Officer Andrew Weavers is investigating
0:19:59 > 0:20:02the strange case of a tenant who claims rodents
0:20:02 > 0:20:06from his neighbour's garden are munching his prize-winning veg.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10They've been eating my courgettes, my marrows and cucumbers.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12- Who has?- The rats.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Keen to avoid the situation escalating,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Andrew's heading next door to find out more.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23My name's Andrew, I'm from Mid Suffolk District Council.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Ralph's neighbour is a pensioner who's raising two
0:20:26 > 0:20:28of her grandchildren herself.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32She's happy to talk to us but doesn't want to be identified.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33I've spoken to your neighbour.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35He obviously knows that...
0:20:35 > 0:20:38He says you're a lovely lady, he gets on well with you.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40He gave me some carrots, erm, onions.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Yeah, well, he's given me some cucumbers, look!
0:20:42 > 0:20:44I know, I've got some as well!
0:20:44 > 0:20:47She's clearly been on friendly terms with the Hubbards until now
0:20:47 > 0:20:50but it seems this isn't the first time someone has smelled
0:20:50 > 0:20:52a rat in her garden.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55I think what he's trying to say
0:20:55 > 0:20:57and I've got no evidence that there's rats around
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- and they're getting...- Well, I've been told there's rats around.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04I've never seen any rats, but I know that the lady who lived here,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07the last thing she said to me when she left here,
0:21:07 > 0:21:08which I thought was quite weird,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11"Good luck with the rat that lives in the shed."
0:21:11 > 0:21:12And I thought, "Oh!"
0:21:12 > 0:21:16We emptied that all out and cleaned out and I've not seen a rat.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20If there are rats, then you're going to be sort of responsible to
0:21:20 > 0:21:24- get them dealt with.- Yeah. No, there's none here.- OK.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27She's adamant the vermin problem isn't coming from her
0:21:27 > 0:21:30side of the fence and she has another problem that doesn't make
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Andrew's job any easier.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38I can probably get Environmental Health just to pop in and see if there's any traces of anything.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42I can't get rid of that rubbish because I can't afford a skip.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45- I'm bringing up two children on a pension.- OK, I understand that.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47- The only trouble is, you, you...- I can't afford that.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50This is where it ties me a little bit, because,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54- you're our tenant, you've signed a tenancy agreement.- That's right.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56And one of the conditions of your tenancy agreement
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- is to keep your garden tidy. - I've never had a complaint in all the years I've been here.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02- No.- You always get one.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04With two children to raise on a pension,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06money is understandably tight
0:22:06 > 0:22:09but the tenant will be responsible for the costs of the clear-up.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13So Andrew has to handle the situation gently.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Obviously, I've got to have my tenancy services hat on
0:22:16 > 0:22:19and say it's a breach of tenancy conditions.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21It's not bad. It's not too bad.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24The only issue I can see is at the bottom of the garden there's
0:22:24 > 0:22:27- a bit of furniture.- I can burn that.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Good, and obviously you make sure you tell everybody
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and make sure no-one's got their washing out.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Obviously I'm going to upset Tom, Dick and Harry, aren't I?
0:22:36 > 0:22:40- If you'd like to come down the bottom.- Let's do that. - Let's have a waddle, shall we?
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Let's have a waddle. I'll waddle behind you.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Burning the rubbish in a residential area is far from ideal
0:22:45 > 0:22:50but more importantly, it seems the problem isn't all down to the tenant.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52- There's a lot here. - This is not all mine.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56No, this is an old problem, isn't it? This is not caused by you.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58It's caused by the previous tenant, I would imagine.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- I think this is yours, isn't it? - Yeah, this is.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03- It needs clearing out. - And obviously this shed,
0:23:03 > 0:23:08with the mattress in, will probably harbour some pests.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11And with Ralph's veggie patch next door,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15this place could be the perfect rodent B&B.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Now Andrew has to find a way to shift the rubbish without a bonfire
0:23:19 > 0:23:22or a big bill for the hard-pressed pensioner.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24First of all I'll ask for a price
0:23:24 > 0:23:27that we can send my little man from the council.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31I can't say how much it will cost, and that will be your choice then.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35If that fails, I'll speak to my colleague about Community Payback.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38That wouldn't cost anything if they accept it.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42It's not certain that they can use Community Payback
0:23:42 > 0:23:44in this situation, but basically
0:23:44 > 0:23:48it's unpaid work done by people found guilty of certain offences.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52The work can include removing graffiti, clearing wasteland
0:23:52 > 0:23:54and decorating public buildings.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57But they've got a bit of a criteria on them
0:23:57 > 0:24:01where they'll only do most things that are for the good
0:24:01 > 0:24:05of the community and you're... as much as you've got a nice, lovely
0:24:05 > 0:24:07garden, this probably isn't a hub of the community
0:24:07 > 0:24:10where it wouldn't impact on the community apart from your little family.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14I'll put a note out. "Anybody want to come down the back of my garden?"
0:24:14 > 0:24:16I'm going to keep in contact with you.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18I'll give you some options about your garden
0:24:18 > 0:24:21so that you know what they are.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24If there is anything that can disappear or go in the meantime,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26obviously it'll cost less.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31- I'll give you a ring with the options and then you can tell me which way you're going to run.- OK.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- Bye!- Bye.- Regardless of her financial situation,
0:24:34 > 0:24:35it's a problem that needs sorting.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Ralph's veg must be protected.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40The garden's too big for her.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43She's been left with the grandchildren to look after.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45I think her plate's quite full.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Although we're not offering to do it for her,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51but we might be able to find ways and means of getting that cleared
0:24:51 > 0:24:53at sort of a reduced price.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58And if I can get Community Payback, erm, agreeing to do that work,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01then it'll be free.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08After a bit more investigation,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11it turned out the tenant wasn't eligible for help
0:25:11 > 0:25:14from the Community Payback scheme.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18But the council cleared the rubbish and, given her financial
0:25:18 > 0:25:22circumstances, it was decided not to charge her for the work.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Defending our right to a safe place to live is
0:25:28 > 0:25:32the job of housing officers right across the UK.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35This is not really an acceptable way of leaving the property behind.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36Do you think?
0:25:36 > 0:25:40'I'm working alongside the men and women that do exactly that.'
0:25:40 > 0:25:42- Top marks.- Yes.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44I'm hitting the streets.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45Hello, can you open up?
0:25:45 > 0:25:48There's definitely somebody inside because we've seen movement.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51'Finding out what's happening on the front line...'
0:25:51 > 0:25:53The cistern's in the bath.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55I don't know how they flush it.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57And learning what it takes
0:25:57 > 0:26:00to make sure a house is a fit place to call a home.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03I'm very shocked. This is ridiculous.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05You shouldn't have people living in here.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Childhood is supposed to be the happiest time of your life.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20But for many of the nearly 100,000 kids living
0:26:20 > 0:26:24with their families in temporary accommodation in England alone,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28the lack of a safe, settled place to live can make it anything but.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33I'm on the Isle of Sheppey with Housing Officer Zana Owen
0:26:33 > 0:26:36who's been working with a father from Sittingbourne in desperate
0:26:36 > 0:26:39need of a secure home for his sons.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42OK, tell me about the family we're about to meet.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47Ian and the two boys were living in a family home.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50There was a relationship breakdown.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53So Ian had to move out of the property
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- and the boys have come with him. - Right.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Ian didn't want to take the boys out of school
0:26:59 > 0:27:01and damage their education
0:27:01 > 0:27:05so they were sleeping on a family member's floor
0:27:05 > 0:27:09in armchairs for a while until the boys finished school.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13They then moved into a houseshare,
0:27:13 > 0:27:14which is where they are at the moment.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17The boys have been living with their father
0:27:17 > 0:27:21since the irreparable breakdown of his relationship with their mother.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23But with a shortage of temporary accommodation,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26the council's had to put them up in Sheerness,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29over ten miles from home.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32I mean, what's the pressure like on housing in this part of the world,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34in Sittingbourne, at the moment?
0:27:34 > 0:27:36The housing situation down here is dire.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38It's so hard to find somewhere.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Luckily, all that's about to change.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43So what is it that we're there to do today?
0:27:43 > 0:27:47We're there to let them know today that the temporary
0:27:47 > 0:27:50accommodation they're in at the moment, they're going to be
0:27:50 > 0:27:53moving out of, and they'll be moving into a three-bed property
0:27:53 > 0:27:57in Sittingbourne that's going to be more suitable for their needs.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00So this is... It's going to be really good news.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Yeah, the boys will have their own room, they won't all be cramped
0:28:03 > 0:28:04into a small space any more.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Hello, Ian. How are you doing? I'm Matt.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16- Nice to meet you. Are you all right? - Yeah.- Are we all right to come in?
0:28:16 > 0:28:18- Yeah. Come in.- Thank you very much.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21'First, I want to know how Ian, who's hard of hearing,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24'and his boys have been coping with having to move to a completely
0:28:24 > 0:28:29'different town on top of the stress of the family breakdown.'
0:28:29 > 0:28:33It sounds, Ian, like you've got quite a full plate here.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35You've got a disability you're dealing with,
0:28:35 > 0:28:39you're outside your comfort zone, your normal neighbourhood.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42How long have you been in this place?
0:28:42 > 0:28:45- We've been in this place for five days now.- Five days?- Yeah.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47And how's it working out?
0:28:47 > 0:28:51It's nice, it's a nice property but it's a different area for the boys.
0:28:51 > 0:28:56It's alien to them and they don't have the basics,
0:28:56 > 0:28:59some the basics, we don't have, that they're used to.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01It's a bit of a struggle for them.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Ian and the boys have been sharing one bedroom
0:29:05 > 0:29:07and moving miles away from home
0:29:07 > 0:29:11has been especially hard for eldest son Chris, who's autistic.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Chris, how are you finding it here?
0:29:13 > 0:29:16Well, it's not good, actually.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19All my mates and friends and family are in Sittingbourne.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22We don't have anyone around in Sheerness
0:29:22 > 0:29:24so we're just tired,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27fed up and bored, getting depressed
0:29:27 > 0:29:31and it's just getting on our nerves, basically.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35'Ian's also worried about the distance to the boys' schools
0:29:35 > 0:29:39'once the new term starts, particularly as it's much further
0:29:39 > 0:29:42'for Chris to get the assisted transport he relies on.'
0:29:42 > 0:29:46They've got the two most important years of their lives coming up.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Obviously there's a struggle with school, as well.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52The cost involved of getting from here to school
0:29:52 > 0:29:54and for Chris to get to Gillingham.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56They really need some sort of stability.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59What you're really looking for is a stable platform,
0:29:59 > 0:30:04a stable home environment for at least the next couple of years.
0:30:04 > 0:30:05Yeah.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08'Moving from place to place, the boys have lacked stability
0:30:08 > 0:30:11'since the breakdown of Ian's relationship with their mother.
0:30:13 > 0:30:18'And it's clear he's also worried about the effect that sharing their accommodation with strangers
0:30:18 > 0:30:19'could be having on them.'
0:30:21 > 0:30:24You've got boys who are going through a really critical period
0:30:24 > 0:30:28of their growing up and you're trying to do it by yourself
0:30:28 > 0:30:32and then you're in these constantly changing environments.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36You've got drug people in there, you've got alcoholics.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40So it's not an ideal environment to take two boys to.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44I mean, you must be desperate for somewhere where you can just shut
0:30:44 > 0:30:49the front door and just say, "Right, at least they can do that bit
0:30:49 > 0:30:52"of their adolescence with a bit of...
0:30:52 > 0:30:55- "They're coming home to me and I can control home."- Yeah.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57- Cos you can't control home at the moment.- I can't, no.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59Ian's struggled, Chris has struggled.
0:30:59 > 0:31:04They've had their moments where they've got angry at the situation.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07And me as well, I've despaired as well.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09But, like you say, we've got to get on with it.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13There's nothing that anyone can do, the situation is what it is.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19Later, learning that someone can do something is too much for Ian.
0:31:21 > 0:31:22And for the boys.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25He's been under a lot of stress.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29Too right, Chris.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43Earlier, I visited an abandoned house of filth,
0:31:43 > 0:31:49so disgusting it even left experienced housing officer, Glyn Pritchard, shocked.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51All the excrement, everything is in bags.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54I can't go any further and I can't take you any further.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56Can we please go?
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Well, the good news is that Glyn is back and I'm not.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05And he's managed to convince some very brave souls
0:32:05 > 0:32:06to help him clear the house.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10Today we've got the contractors in and they're busy doing all
0:32:10 > 0:32:13the clear-up. The owner still hasn't responded to us
0:32:13 > 0:32:16and, as you can see at the moment,
0:32:16 > 0:32:18they can't even get into the property still.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21We've been here about 45 minutes so far.
0:32:23 > 0:32:24How long do we think it's going to take?
0:32:24 > 0:32:27- A couple of days.- Two or three days? - Two or three days?
0:32:27 > 0:32:30And we haven't even made a dent to get in through the front door yet.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35But the task is proving a little easier said than done.
0:32:35 > 0:32:36I'm actually hitting the floor.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41One of the precautions they've got to take is we know there is mice
0:32:41 > 0:32:43and rats been in the property,
0:32:43 > 0:32:46so they will take that necessary precaution.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49They're not going to be eating their sandwiches straight after
0:32:49 > 0:32:51being in there without washing their hands, or anything,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54but it's something we've got to do
0:32:54 > 0:32:58and we have got a... We've just found a dead rat.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04He's been dead a fair while by the looks of it.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Given the scale of the challenge,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09the team aren't taking any chances.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11You just don't know what's in there.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13It's all mould and things like that,
0:33:13 > 0:33:16and that's what's going to affect your health,
0:33:16 > 0:33:18so you do have to take precautions.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21I'm not going to go into the property.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23I'll let them get on with their job
0:33:23 > 0:33:25and I'll go and supervise a bit further into the clean.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27Very smart man, Glyn.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29Let the experts take charge.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31We're getting there slowly.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34We'll get in and go as far we can get.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41It doesn't really bother me but it's the smell.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45The stink of it afterwards, you keep on smelling that smell.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47The incredible thing is
0:33:47 > 0:33:50that the telly is still on standby.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52Where's the remote?
0:33:56 > 0:33:58There we are, we've got a telly.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00I've got no signal.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07While Glyn takes a less hands-on approach,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10the guys inside find an interesting clue that tells them
0:34:10 > 0:34:14just how long it's been since the place enjoyed a spring clean.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18January 2007, eight-and-a-half years ago.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24Well, we've managed to get through to some of the furniture,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27which, looking at the state of it, is rotted to high heaven.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31Whatever's at the bottom there's not going to be anything salvageable,
0:34:31 > 0:34:33it is that far gone,
0:34:33 > 0:34:35which will probably mean the carpets have gone, as well.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37They'll all have to come up.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40With the contactors succeeding in clearing safe passage inside,
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Glyn decides it's now time to brave going in.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48I have to wipe my feet before I come in now, it's that clean so far.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53You've made a bit of progress in here.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56I was going to say, can we tell what colour the carpet is?
0:34:56 > 0:35:00It's pink over here, green there and blue over there.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Nothing worth salvaging at all.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06I don't think they'll get a refund for that.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10It's clearly a thankless task for everyone involved
0:35:10 > 0:35:12and the progress is slow, but sure.
0:35:13 > 0:35:18That's the first skip gone, so hopefully, it gets easier.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24Someone else who's clearly delighted to see the back of the rubbish
0:35:24 > 0:35:26is neighbour, Terry.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Incredible.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32I'm so glad the council have really got their act together
0:35:32 > 0:35:35on our behalf and have made a good job of it.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39It was very deceiving because when you look through the window
0:35:39 > 0:35:45you saw what you thought was a fair bit but when it starts
0:35:45 > 0:35:50coming out, there was two or three mountains, without a doubt.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52As you can see what's in here,
0:35:52 > 0:35:57it's just a small part of what's been taken out of this house.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02And they're still at it, the boys.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Let's just hope they can keep going.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Look at it.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13One week later, and Glyn is back.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16The contractors have gone, but what about the rubbish?
0:36:16 > 0:36:19They've cleared up and they've done a pretty good job.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24There's a path, I didn't even know there was a path here.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27It's a good start, but let's see if Glyn can get into the house
0:36:27 > 0:36:28using the front door.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31He's got his nice jacket on.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33And that's what the door actually looks like,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36and I can actually open the door.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39As they say in all the best makeover shows,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42here comes the reveal.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44The difference is amazing.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49And the staircase, which I think had rubbish up to about here,
0:36:49 > 0:36:51you can actually see.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55You couldn't get to the kitchen the first time,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57because we had to walk down a pile.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00And we have a kitchen.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05They earned their money doing this job, that was for certain.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07No kidding!
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Upstairs, where it was, well, horrible...
0:37:10 > 0:37:12Just take a look.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19The bathroom is a bathroom again.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26It's amazing that a mess that took years to create
0:37:26 > 0:37:28has been removed in just under a week.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31If someone saw it now, they wouldn't realise what was in here or
0:37:31 > 0:37:33what had actually happened in here.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37Which just leaves the small matter of what happens next.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41If the owner did turn up tomorrow, the first thing we'd be doing
0:37:41 > 0:37:42is giving him the bill.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47If he still chooses not to pay it or doesn't contact us
0:37:47 > 0:37:48or discuss it with us,
0:37:48 > 0:37:52we have the ability to put it as a charge on the property
0:37:52 > 0:37:54and/or take him to court.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Well, even if the owner never bothers to return,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00there are plenty of very happy neighbours who I'm sure
0:38:00 > 0:38:02would give you a pat on the back, Glyn.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05From our point of view, it's a good job well done.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17On the Isle of Sheppey, single dad Ian Foster
0:38:17 > 0:38:20and his two sons have been in temporary accommodation since
0:38:20 > 0:38:23the breakdown of his relationship with their mother left them homeless.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30It is a struggle. I've despaired. But we've got to get on with it.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33There's nothing that anyone can do. The situation is what it is.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37Well, you say that, but today I've come along with
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Swale Borough Council Housing Officer Zana Owen to give
0:38:40 > 0:38:45Ian and the boys some brilliant news that's going to change everything.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48So we've come with a little bit of an update
0:38:48 > 0:38:50for where we are, going forwards today.
0:38:50 > 0:38:56The council, Swale, has found you a property in Sittingbourne.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02We're hopeful that next week, as soon as next week,
0:39:02 > 0:39:07you can be moving into a property with three bedrooms.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10So a bedroom for each of you,
0:39:10 > 0:39:15where you can start again in Sittingbourne, where you know,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17and it's in time for term to start as well.
0:39:17 > 0:39:22So you've got a week to get yourself sorted before school and college.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27'After months of worry,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30'finally being able to give his sons a safe, secure place to live
0:39:30 > 0:39:32'back in their home town of Sittingbourne
0:39:32 > 0:39:34'is all too much for Ian.'
0:39:34 > 0:39:36- OK?- (Yeah.)
0:39:38 > 0:39:42Give me a hug. You all right?
0:39:42 > 0:39:43- Lovely.- OK.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47'Clearly, Ian isn't the only member of the family
0:39:47 > 0:39:50'who's relieved to hear the good news.'
0:39:51 > 0:39:53What does this mean now, going forwards?
0:39:53 > 0:39:56It's going to be a lot better.
0:39:56 > 0:39:57- I'm happier.- Yeah.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01'Worrying about his dad has also clearly taken its toll
0:40:01 > 0:40:04'on eldest son Chris, who suffers with autism.'
0:40:06 > 0:40:08He's been under a lot of stress.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12You all right, Chris?
0:40:19 > 0:40:21Just surprised.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25I didn't think you'd be able to do it.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31'I'll be honest, I was expecting the family to be pleased
0:40:31 > 0:40:35'but realising just how relieved they are is heart-breaking to watch.'
0:40:36 > 0:40:39This is supposed to be a happy thing, you know.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Everyone's in tears - I don't know what I've done!
0:40:41 > 0:40:42LAUGHTER
0:40:42 > 0:40:45It was supposed to be a happy thing!
0:40:46 > 0:40:50It's sort of like a big weight lifted off your shoulders.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54So tears of happiness, knowing that we can start planning for
0:40:54 > 0:40:56the future now, rather than thinking, you know,
0:40:56 > 0:41:00we're going to be scratching around for the next few months.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04It's a fantastic result but I really wasn't prepared
0:41:04 > 0:41:08for what a difference it'll make to Ian and his family.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11I wasn't expecting the outcome today.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13It was quite a surprise.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15I wasn't, actually, no. It's a complete shock.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20I'm just really happy.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27- Well, that was emotional.- Yeah.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29I really didn't expect to have
0:41:29 > 0:41:32a room full of sobbing blokes on my hands there.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35But I suppose when you hear what Ian's been through with those boys...
0:41:35 > 0:41:38- Yeah.- ..actually you can understand the relief...
0:41:38 > 0:41:39- Yeah.- ..must be more than anything.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42Yeah, and hopefully we can get things rolling quite quickly,
0:41:42 > 0:41:44get them in, get them settled
0:41:44 > 0:41:46and then the boys can concentrate on school.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49Is it too early for a little knuckle bump, like that?
0:41:51 > 0:41:54I think that's fair enough, given the circumstances.
0:41:59 > 0:42:00Three weeks later,
0:42:00 > 0:42:03Ian and the boys have moved back home to Sittingbourne
0:42:03 > 0:42:05and are already settled into their new flat.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08This is the kitchen.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10You've got the basics - cooker, washing machine,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12we've got a fridge and a freezer.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15It makes a big difference being able to cook different things, you know,
0:42:15 > 0:42:17and it's been a pleasure for me,
0:42:17 > 0:42:19like, to actually sit down and have a meal with them
0:42:19 > 0:42:21and spend time with them.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24Struggling to learn how to cook but we'll get there eventually.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30After months of moving from place to place,
0:42:30 > 0:42:34each of them now has a room they can call their own.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39And finally being able to give his sons a safe, secure home
0:42:39 > 0:42:41has had just the effect Ian was hoping for.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Yeah, the boys are a lot happier here than they were in Sheerness.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48They didn't know anyone in Sheerness.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50It is more stable for them.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53We're in the area we want to be
0:42:53 > 0:42:56and we can, you know, get on with things.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58With any luck, this place will be
0:42:58 > 0:43:01just the fresh start they've been looking for.
0:43:06 > 0:43:07That's it for today.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11Join me next time back on the road with the housing enforcers.