Episode 1 The Housing Enforcers


Episode 1

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Transcript


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It's difficult to imagine calling this a home.

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'Everyone deserves a safe place to live.'

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So that's a dead rat.

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'But with rents rising and demand increasing,

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'it's getting harder and harder to find a secure place to call home.'

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You can actually see the floorboards of the bathroom there.

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There's clear evidence...

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-There's clearly someone living down here.

-Yep.

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'I'm Matt Allwright, and I'm back with the housing enforcers.'

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Someone nicked your wheelchair?

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'I'm on the front line

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'with those fighting for the right to decent housing...'

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The amount of mould is quite shocking.

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Happiest residents of this property are the rats.

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'..as local councils and housing associations

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'battle problem properties and slum conditions...'

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I mean, that is just a scene of Dickensian misery.

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It, um, absolutely pen and inks.

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'..as they deal with dodgy landlords...'

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Whoa, sir!

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'..nightmare neighbours...'

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There's a good chance people will be getting evicted.

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'..and everything in between...'

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It does feel like we're close to the bottom of the housing ladder here.

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'..to help those in need of a happy and healthy home.'

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If there's something strange in your neighbourhood...

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who you going to call?

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'Today, I turn rat-catcher in Jaywick.'

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God, it stinks.

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'One man's dream of escaping outdoors

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'looks over before it's even begun.'

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-So we've got out here the biggest stinging nettles in the world.

-Yep.

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'In Newcastle, things get feisty

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'over plans for a glorified garden pond.'

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The main concern is it doesn't look great at the minute.

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It's been there since October or something,

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and you've not really done anything with it.

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'And tempers start to fray when a demand for council tax hits home.'

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Take me to court.

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You have been taken to court.

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It used to be so straightforward -

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you leave education, you get yourself a job

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and then settle down once you've found a house or flat.

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And even though happily ever after wasn't guaranteed,

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you could usually depend on getting

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an affordable and safe place to live.

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Well, it's no secret that thanks to the housing crisis,

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today, things are a bit more complicated.

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But there are men and women across the UK whose job it is

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to ensure that everyone has the opportunity

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to enjoy a safe roof over their heads.

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Every day, they're out fighting for your rights.

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They are the housing enforcers.

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'Here in Suffolk, housing officer Andrew Weavers

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'has been called to a property in Stowmarket.

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'A fairly typical bungalow, by the looks of it,

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'and home to Mr Peck, an elderly resident.

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'Andrew's been asked by Mr Peck's occupational therapist

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'to see whether the council

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'could provide wheelchair access to the garden.'

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-Hello. You must be Mrs Howard?

-Yes.

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I'm Andrew from Mid Suffolk District Council.

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-I want to come and talk to you about your ramp.

-Yeah.

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-Is that all right, if I have a chat with you?

-Yes.

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'Mr Peck is currently being looked after by his niece, Mrs Howard.

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'Although Andrew was aware the tenant suffered mobility issues,

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'the extent of his condition is clearly a shock to both of us.'

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Hello, my name's Andrew. How are you?

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Yeah? Not too bad?

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You're late up?

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Did you? Been out partying?

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On the booze?

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THEY LAUGH

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So we've got the camera here.

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You could be on telly. You could be on telly.

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Now, we've had an occupational therapist come round, haven't we?

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Are you hot?

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It's horrible out there at the moment, isn't it?

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-Yeah.

-Yeah?

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Are you... Are you...

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Are you...mobile at all?

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Can you...? Are you able to get up and out?

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Yeah?

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Right.

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'The main reason for today's visit

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'was to measure up for wheelchair access into the back garden,

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'but given Mr Peck's condition,

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'it's now seeming a rather over-ambitious idea.'

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-I guess you're feeling a bit trapped in here, are you?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

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In here?

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-Haven't you been out?

-No.

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'That's right. Mr Peck hasn't left this room for five years.

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'It's not often words fail me.'

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I didn't realise you'd been in here

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and not been able to get out for five years.

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So you'd push him out in a wheelchair,

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would you, out on the ramp?

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No, you won't.

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Would you be able to manage, would you?

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-Yeah.

-Yeah?

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'It's a desperate situation.

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'Being confined to his bed must feel like a jail sentence,

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'but Mr Peck is not ready to give up on his dream of freedom just yet.'

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You want to get out in the back garden, don't you?

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Get some fresh air.

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'Before Andrew can give the green light to the wheelchair ramp,

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'he needs to assess how the access might work.

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'But as we make our way through to the back,

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'we find another big problem.'

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So we've got out here,

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-I mean, we've got the biggest stinging nettles in the world.

-Yep.

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-We have, haven't we?

-Basically taking up the entire space.

-Yeah.

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I didn't quite expect to see it quite like this, if I'm honest,

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and quite as bad as that, but, er...

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-So the dog has basically made the place his own, hasn't he?

-Yeah.

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Because this isn't just, you know, the odd pile of poo, is it?

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-There's quite...

-It's the dominant colour.

-Yeah, absolutely.

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Even the dog is a bit messy, so...

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Just watch where you step.

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If we put a ramp in here, it's not going to solve the issues.

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'The garden is in a truly dismal state.

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'Even if Andrew could arrange for access for Mr Peck's wheelchair,

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'there's very little chance

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'he'd be able to enjoy himself out here in...this.'

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I don't feel like you can blame either of those tenants

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-for the state of this.

-No.

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It just feels like they're not able,

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-certainly in the state it is now, to keep it the way it should be.

-No.

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-Did Mr Peck say he's not been out of that room for five years?

-Yeah.

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(That can't be allowed to carry on.)

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No, it can't.

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The trouble is, it's a balance here,

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because there's a breach of tenancy conditions here,

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but there's also people that are quite...

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well, as you can see, frail, you know?

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The thing I'm wondering is

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where's the rest of the family support, friends, other people?

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Yeah.

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Because for him to be in one room for five years,

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if I was a son or even an interested neighbour, I'd be saying,

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"We need to get you outside," you know?

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This is the next part of the conversation, I think,

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because you find out what the extent of the problem is.

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It's clear that they can't do it,

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but then the conversation goes on to,

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"Are you in the right accommodation? Have you got family support?"

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Maybe family support first.

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'Today's visit is another example of the demanding role

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'of the housing officer.

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'Andrew thought he was walking into a very straightforward case

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'of adapting a house for wheelchair access,

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'but he's discovered a much bigger problem.'

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Obviously, we do want to put your ramp in,

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but the difficulty we've got is you've got a very overgrown garden.

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Right. Have you got the ability to pay for a gardener?

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Not really. If I could try and find someone to do it for you,

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would you be able to find someone to maintain it and keep it cut back?

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What sort of dog have you got?

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You've got to keep on top of the clearing up after the dog.

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It's not been done for a while.

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-Do you have any family?

-No.

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-No? Anyone that can help you?

-No.

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-No?

-No.

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No? No friends?

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Have you not?

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-Yeah.

-Long time to be without anybody.

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'With no friends or family to help,

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'Andrew has to question whether keeping Mr Peck in his own home

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'is really an option.'

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The other thought I had,

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which you'll probably chuck me out the room for,

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but is, you know, would a sheltered property be better for you?

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You'll have all the ramps in place

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and it'll have communal gardens, which we cut back for the residents.

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I just wondered...

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Well, there might be some sheltered bungalows

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that are attached to these places.

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MR PECK SOBS

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No, no, no, I'm not asking you to lose your dog, you know,

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but that's your choice.

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I'm trying to think of other ways of dealing with this, you know?

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-So we're going to have to do this together, yeah?

-Yeah.

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We'll try and meet you halfway.

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'It's a really difficult line for Andrew to walk.

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'He has to balance

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'keeping the tenant in their own familiar surroundings

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'against considering the impact on their health.

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'It's a problem even more acute with Mr Peck.'

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-OK.

-What we might do...

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I think it's probably wise, if it's all right with you, Andrew,

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if we just leave for a bit, let Mr Peck come back down.

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'It's at times like this that I really don't envy Andrew's role

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'as housing officer at all.'

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So was that what you were expecting?

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Oh, no. No, I didn't quite expect that.

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It's a scene of...

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to be honest with you, Dickensian misery.

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It's horrible, isn't it?

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Somebody who's not been out of that room for five years.

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So upsetting, really, do you know what I mean? It's, er...

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She's not well, he's not well.

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The dog that they both clearly love to bits is only making things worse,

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because he's a health hazard, because they can't pick up,

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or they're not picking up after him,

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and yet that's... what he got most upset about,

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was the idea that he wouldn't be able to live with his dog

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and he doesn't want to go anywhere just in case the dog's taken away.

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-Yeah.

-I think the reality is

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that if you showed that to anybody, you know,

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with a pair of shears and the ability to help,

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they'd want to fix it,

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but because it stays behind a locked door until you come in,

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or until the guys who want to fit the ramp point it out to you,

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then it stays like that for five years.

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-Yeah.

-It over grows.

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I'm sure we can... There must be a way we can just get that cleared

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and give them a start.

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-I mean, we're in the middle of summer right now.

-Yeah.

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And this is the point at which

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he could really do with getting some fresh air,

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-getting out into the open.

-Yeah.

-After five years.

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It's five summers like this,

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worse than this and he's not been able to get out.

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-It's more a prison sentence, isn't it?

-It really is.

-Yeah.

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'Coming up - Andrew lets his green fingers do the walking.'

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Yeah, that's me done. Phew! That's hard work, isn't it? Huh?

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HE LAUGHS

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Look, I've got a sweat on!

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They say that death and taxes

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are the two things that are impossible to avoid,

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but that doesn't stop some people from trying.

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Owning or renting a property comes with certain responsibilities

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and paying your council tax is one of them.

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Councils can't do their jobs properly if it isn't collected.

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So, here in the London Borough of Havering,

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when some residents refuse to cough up,

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they call in the enforcement team.

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People like John and Shane.

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And today, they're on an early morning mission

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to call in some particularly large debts

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that the council have been chasing for quite some time.

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Let's get going.

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We're going to a traveller site.

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There's a few sites, they're all sort of close together

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and, to be honest, they've not paid any council tax for about 13 years.

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The amount of money they owe is in excess of £100,000,

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so the council's had enough. They've issued warrants.

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We're the enforcement agents who are off there today

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to enforce the warrants.

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Ideally, we're there to recover the debt in full,

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but, to be honest with you, if we can just get some of it, you know,

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it's a start. Sometimes you can get a lot of trouble,

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especially when you're on your own,

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but because we've got the police with us,

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hopefully things should go well.

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The guys are here to enforce warrants

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against a number of suspected individuals.

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I think we'll try this one, because it looks more like the main address.

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These are the main buildings.

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But, despite the early hour,

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finding the culprits is proving a little tougher than they'd hoped.

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Thankfully, the boys do finally manage to find a tenant at home.

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The resident has confirmed they're in the right place.

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Even though this tenant isn't on the warrant list for today,

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it's possible he might be in the future.

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You've been here four years,

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-but you're not registered with the council?

-No.

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It's meant to be done properly.

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You're supposed to have a tenancy agreement,

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you're supposed to be registered with the council,

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because otherwise enforcement agents come in and start snooping about

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-and start taking people's goods away, yeah?

-All right.

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You need to do that today, sir, yeah?

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Cheers. Thanks very much.

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Just spoke to that guy. Apparently he's a tenant,

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he's been here four years.

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No tenancy agreement, not registered with the council,

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has confirmed the landlord is one of the guys that we're after,

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but unfortunately doesn't know which caravan he lives in, so, er...

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But I gave him information, told him he needs to register

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with the council today, otherwise, you know,

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we'll end up coming back for him as well.

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Although it's not strictly a legal requirement

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to have a tenancy agreement,

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possessing one provides a greater degree of protection

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and security for the tenant,

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something John and Shane are keen to bring up with the landlord,

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if only they could find him.

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PHONE RINGS

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We've had confirmation...

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Hello?

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OK. Can I ask your name, please, sir?

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Could it be the elusive landlord himself?

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Unfortunately, though, warrants have been issued

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and they can be enforced, whether these people are at the site or not.

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So we have no choice but to continue

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with recovery action, sir, I'm afraid.

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He just said take whatever we want to take.

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Apparently everyone that we're after is in Canada or America.

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It turns out the man on the phone

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claims he isn't the landlord they're looking for,

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so the search continues.

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It's pretty much what you expect when you come to a site like this.

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Everyone that you're after has gone away, you know?

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They're on holiday or they don't live here,

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and they're not known at the address.

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It's been a frustrating morning so far.

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Later on, though, John and Shane make a dash and grab.

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This is a good tool that we have, you know.

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We are able to take control of people's vehicles

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and remove them if necessary.

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Down in Essex, on the east coast, is a beautiful stretch of seaside.

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With its golden sands and stunning coastline,

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it's an almost idyllic British scene.

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So it's quite a shock when you find out

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it's home to one of the most deprived areas in the country.

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Many of Jaywick's coastal accommodations

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are temporary holiday homes that were never meant to provide

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a permanent solution to the local housing problems,

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but with demand outstripping supply, many people now call them home,

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and that presents challenges to both tenants

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and Tendring Council's housing officer, Rob Goswell.

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So what's the specific reason that we're going down today?

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Why we're going down today is we've had a complaint from the occupant

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regarding rats within the property.

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They've recently put some internal flood measures

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to help prevent the flooding and what that's done is

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all the rats have come out of the ditches.

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So they've now, basically, gone into people's houses.

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There's nothing like the mention of rats to make your skin crawl,

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although it hasn't put Rob off.

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'He grew up in this area

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'and I'm guessing he's worried that given Jaywick's geography,

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'with the houses so close together, the presence of rats in one home

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'could soon lead to problems for the rest of the street.

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'The tenant has lived at this address

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'with her partner for three years.

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'She's asked us to hide her identity.'

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What are the problems then in this room, in this house as a whole?

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-Just rat holes.

-Rat holes?

-Yes.

0:16:090:16:11

Can you show me the rat holes? Where would they be?

0:16:110:16:14

That's a hole you've covered up with a brick

0:16:140:16:16

-to try and stop the rats getting in?

-Yes.

0:16:160:16:18

So you've got... This is a wooden floor, suspended floor,

0:16:180:16:21

and you've got rats coming in through the wooden floors here.

0:16:210:16:24

Er...

0:16:240:16:26

And then what? Do you see them on the floor of the kitchen?

0:16:260:16:28

Yeah, they just run everywhere.

0:16:280:16:31

Right.

0:16:310:16:32

'Rats in the house are nobody's idea of fun,

0:16:320:16:35

'made all the worse by what comes along

0:16:350:16:37

'with an infestation of vermin.'

0:16:370:16:39

Also noticed your house...

0:16:400:16:41

You seem to have a problem with a lot of flies.

0:16:410:16:43

Do you know what that's from? Do you know where that's coming from?

0:16:430:16:46

I don't know, but there's a smell underneath the house.

0:16:460:16:50

'It's clearly a terrible situation for the tenant.

0:16:500:16:53

'I'm getting worried not just about the house,

0:16:530:16:55

'but also about her wellbeing, too.'

0:16:550:16:57

Your situation, your health...

0:16:580:17:00

Yeah, I'm not healthy.

0:17:000:17:02

What is your condition? What is it?

0:17:020:17:04

-I've got cerebral palsy.

-Right.

0:17:040:17:06

So you've got cerebral palsy,

0:17:060:17:08

and I noticed that you've got big steps coming up here to the house.

0:17:080:17:12

How do you find those?

0:17:120:17:14

My partner has to lift me up and down.

0:17:140:17:17

So you have to be carried into your house and out your house every day?

0:17:170:17:20

Yes, and I recently had my wheelchair nicked.

0:17:200:17:23

Someone nicked your wheelchair?

0:17:230:17:25

-Yeah, someone nicked my wheelchair from outside.

-Right.

0:17:250:17:28

'I really should've learned

0:17:290:17:30

'from my couple of years following the work of housing officers

0:17:300:17:33

'that they rarely encounter a situation

0:17:330:17:35

'that can't somehow be made worse.'

0:17:350:17:37

This just does feel like the wrong house for you.

0:17:380:17:40

Wrong house.

0:17:400:17:41

'The tenant here is clearly struggling

0:17:410:17:43

'and I want to get to the bottom

0:17:430:17:45

'of where the flies might be coming from,

0:17:450:17:47

'but outside I'm facing a struggle of my own.'

0:17:470:17:49

All white goods. I used to work for Currys, you know.

0:17:510:17:54

'After following my nose, I think I may have found the answer.'

0:17:540:17:56

(Oh, dear.) HE SNIFFS

0:17:560:17:58

The smell round here is...

0:17:580:18:00

is really strong.

0:18:000:18:02

This is where part of the problem is, it seems,

0:18:020:18:04

with these houses in Jaywick, is that they're all on stilts.

0:18:040:18:08

They're all suspended, so you get this space under the houses, which...

0:18:080:18:12

is home to anything that likes dark, warm spaces.

0:18:120:18:19

'It's another illustration of why these temporary accommodations

0:18:190:18:22

'aren't really well-suited for permanent residence.'

0:18:220:18:25

(Oh, Christ, it stinks.)

0:18:270:18:29

I can't see one, mate.

0:18:290:18:31

Oh, yeah. Oh, God, yeah.

0:18:320:18:35

Yeah, yeah.

0:18:350:18:36

So that's a dead rat.

0:18:360:18:38

So it's been baited under here

0:18:390:18:42

and that's killed the rats,

0:18:420:18:44

but then the rats just stay there and then they rot

0:18:440:18:47

and so that could well be...

0:18:470:18:50

Wow. God, it stinks!

0:18:500:18:52

I'm not kidding. It absolutely pen and inks under there.

0:18:520:18:56

So there's a good chance that that's the rats dying under there

0:18:560:18:59

and then rotting. So you get flies,

0:18:590:19:01

you get the smell and everything else.

0:19:010:19:03

'The rat poison has clearly done its job below,

0:19:030:19:06

'but I'm not sure it's really improved things much

0:19:060:19:09

'for the tenant above.'

0:19:090:19:10

This is one of the most, um...

0:19:100:19:12

difficult, desperate situations I've come across.

0:19:120:19:16

The tenant here...

0:19:160:19:17

..has a disability which means that she finds it difficult to walk

0:19:180:19:23

and yet she has to get up and down stairs,

0:19:230:19:24

so her partner's carrying her up and down the stairs,

0:19:240:19:27

and that's before you get to the problems with the house.

0:19:270:19:29

A lot of which you, you know,

0:19:310:19:33

struggle to see how you're going to solve them.

0:19:330:19:36

I do not envy Rob this job at all.

0:19:380:19:40

I would keep your dog away from the back,

0:19:420:19:44

because there are poisons under there

0:19:440:19:46

and I've seen evidence your dog has been under there,

0:19:460:19:48

because he's left a little present, but there are rats there.

0:19:480:19:51

'Although the landlord can't be held responsible

0:19:510:19:53

'for the rats under the floorboards,

0:19:530:19:55

'the property still seems to be a poor fit for this tenant.'

0:19:550:19:59

That felt like we were close to the bottom rung

0:19:590:20:01

-of the housing ladder there.

-Mm.

0:20:010:20:03

You know, there was a tenant who didn't really have any choices left.

0:20:030:20:06

The house really wasn't adequate for her,

0:20:060:20:08

but we've got such an issue with housing, you take what you can get,

0:20:080:20:12

you know, and I've got real concerns with her being in there.

0:20:120:20:15

It's very difficult for us.

0:20:150:20:17

Nine times out of ten, I think a lot of officers

0:20:170:20:19

would love to get these people

0:20:190:20:20

and put them into somewhere a bit more adequate, but we can't.

0:20:200:20:22

It must be frustrating for you.

0:20:220:20:24

It is frustrating, you know, we will go, we'll inspect

0:20:240:20:26

and we'll come back in a few months' time for a similar issue

0:20:260:20:29

or a different issue.

0:20:290:20:31

We go and see individual problems in Jaywick, but actually,

0:20:310:20:35

a lot of the stuff that's happening is affecting all of them

0:20:350:20:37

just because it's a tight community.

0:20:370:20:39

The houses are right on top of each other

0:20:390:20:41

and something like rats is not going to be limited to one house, is it?

0:20:410:20:45

Yeah, we've seen a prime example. We have had one complaint, you know,

0:20:450:20:48

but I'm almost certain that the rest of them are dealing with it,

0:20:480:20:51

the issues as well. What you'd love to do is go in there,

0:20:510:20:54

that's the problem, get it done and you never have to go back there

0:20:540:20:56

and you've got a happy tenant and a happy landlord

0:20:560:20:58

and that really is an ideal situation, which we can't have here.

0:20:580:21:02

We can only deal with very small little bits as it's presented

0:21:020:21:05

and hopefully, over that time,

0:21:050:21:07

we can make their housing conditions better in the short-term

0:21:070:21:10

and, in the long-term,

0:21:100:21:11

the big strategic minds can work out a way forward.

0:21:110:21:14

Well, since that visit, Rob's been busy looking into rehousing

0:21:160:21:19

the unfortunate tenant into council accommodation.

0:21:190:21:22

He's hoping to find her somewhere much more practical for her needs,

0:21:220:21:25

and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed

0:21:250:21:28

that she doesn't get any more unwanted visitors in the meantime.

0:21:280:21:31

Defending our right to a safe place to live

0:21:350:21:38

is the job of housing officers right across the UK.

0:21:380:21:41

It is unusual for us to find a tenanted property in this condition.

0:21:410:21:46

-You can smell that rubbish still, can't you? Even from here.

-Yeah.

0:21:460:21:49

'I'm working alongside the men and women that do exactly that.'

0:21:490:21:52

-You got insulted, we got kicked out.

-Yep.

0:21:520:21:55

A bit of a red letter day, really, isn't it?

0:21:550:21:57

'Hitting the streets,

0:21:570:21:58

'finding out what's happening on the front line...'

0:21:580:22:00

You've done a great thing,

0:22:000:22:01

you've done a superb thing, you really have.

0:22:010:22:03

..as we make sure a house is a fit place to call home.

0:22:030:22:07

-The place is clearly being plagued by rats.

-Yeah.

0:22:070:22:10

Raw sewage in the back garden.

0:22:100:22:13

It's just apparent that this is not an OK environment...

0:22:130:22:16

-No.

-..for ANYONE to live in.

0:22:160:22:18

Back in Havering, enforcement agents John and Shane

0:22:220:22:25

are on the hunt for unpaid council tax.

0:22:250:22:28

They've got a number of warrants

0:22:280:22:29

for people registered to three local traveller sites.

0:22:290:22:32

It's all supposed to be done properly.

0:22:320:22:33

You're supposed to have a tenancy agreement,

0:22:330:22:35

supposed to be registered with the council.

0:22:350:22:37

Between them, they owe more than £100,000.

0:22:370:22:40

But, so far, the boys haven't had much joy finding the culprits.

0:22:400:22:44

Just keep an eye out, see how big the dogs are.

0:22:460:22:48

They're hoping for more luck at site number two.

0:22:480:22:51

Hello?

0:22:510:22:52

But they don't seem to be winning

0:22:550:22:56

at what is a particularly challenging game of hide-and-seek.

0:22:560:22:59

Someone... There's someone lying on the sofa.

0:23:010:23:05

We're enforcement agents, sir. Havering Council.

0:23:050:23:08

Can we just ask, do you know who your landlord is?

0:23:080:23:11

He lives next door?

0:23:120:23:14

Although John and Shane are here as part of an enforcement team,

0:23:140:23:17

they're also keen to make sure these residents are offered

0:23:170:23:19

the same security as others in the borough.

0:23:190:23:22

You should be on a tenancy agreement.

0:23:220:23:24

OK? It's an agreement, a contract, to say you live here

0:23:240:23:28

and you pay the landlord X amount of money every week or month.

0:23:280:23:31

You need to register yourself with Havering Council.

0:23:310:23:34

Right, so you make sure you contact the council today

0:23:340:23:37

and register yourself with council tax.

0:23:370:23:38

Also you need to get a tenancy agreement off your landlord.

0:23:380:23:41

Cheers, thank you.

0:23:410:23:42

For the guys, this is a depressingly familiar scene.

0:23:420:23:46

They'll get told to pay rent, all bills included,

0:23:460:23:49

they'll pay the rent and, as far as they're concerned,

0:23:490:23:51

-everything's included.

-Yeah.

-But they don't include the council tax.

0:23:510:23:54

-This is exactly the problem.

-No tenancy agreement,

0:23:540:23:57

so it's just money in the landlord's pocket.

0:23:570:23:59

And at the second site, one of the accompanying police team

0:23:590:24:02

has discovered someone else who could need protection.

0:24:020:24:05

So we've got a horse in the trailer there.

0:24:050:24:08

What we're basically looking to do is get the wildlife officer

0:24:080:24:10

to come down so he can have a look at the horse

0:24:100:24:12

and make sure it's got enough space inside the trailer,

0:24:120:24:14

and also got enough space to graze.

0:24:140:24:16

Obviously, it's enclosed a bit there.

0:24:160:24:17

So we'll get him to come down, have a look

0:24:170:24:19

and then, if needs be, we'll refer it onto the RSPCA

0:24:190:24:22

to come down as well.

0:24:220:24:24

While the call is placed with animal welfare,

0:24:240:24:26

John and Shane have decided to get a little bit more creative

0:24:260:24:29

in their methods of collecting funds.

0:24:290:24:31

That vehicle there, in the windscreen, there's a schoolbook.

0:24:310:24:35

Belonging to a dad, mum, that wouldn't be there for no reason.

0:24:350:24:39

We DVLA-checked the van.

0:24:430:24:44

It's not registered to the person that we're after.

0:24:440:24:46

However, they are on the insurance,

0:24:460:24:48

so therefore we have reason to believe

0:24:480:24:50

the vehicle is owned by the person.

0:24:500:24:52

John and Shane have powers to collect

0:24:520:24:54

the unpaid council tax arrears by impounding possessions

0:24:540:24:57

of suspected perpetrators.

0:24:570:24:59

This is a good tool that we have, you know,

0:25:010:25:03

we are able to take control of people's vehicles

0:25:030:25:05

and remove them if necessary. You can't get in the buildings,

0:25:050:25:09

they're in there, looking at you through the window.

0:25:090:25:11

They don't have to open the door and they know that.

0:25:110:25:13

But the one thing they can't do is put their van in their front room.

0:25:130:25:17

So, yeah...

0:25:170:25:18

97% of the people pay their council tax.

0:25:180:25:21

3% don't.

0:25:210:25:22

And out of that 3%, there's the ones that don't want to pay it,

0:25:220:25:25

can't pay it and the ones that just don't think they have to pay it

0:25:250:25:29

and, unfortunately, this is the place

0:25:290:25:31

where they don't think they have to pay it, so...

0:25:310:25:33

But, yeah, we should be getting something today with the van.

0:25:330:25:37

It's been a tricky one. It's common when you go to places like this.

0:25:370:25:42

You will get some people saying they've moved on,

0:25:420:25:46

they're travelling,

0:25:460:25:48

tenants coming and going,

0:25:480:25:49

not finding out official agreements with the council,

0:25:490:25:53

so it is a bit difficult, but we will get there.

0:25:530:25:57

We will make visits onto the other site.

0:25:570:25:59

If it takes a few hours, then it will,

0:25:590:26:02

but we are here to do a job today.

0:26:020:26:03

Well, the boys seem satisfied they've got something

0:26:030:26:06

out of their first couple of stops, but coming up,

0:26:060:26:08

their quest for unpaid council tax hits a bit of a wall.

0:26:080:26:12

We've got the council with us, we've got the police with us,

0:26:120:26:15

we're here today to enforce it.

0:26:150:26:17

Meanwhile, back in Suffolk, housing officer Andrew Weavers,

0:26:220:26:25

found himself facing one of the biggest challenges of his career

0:26:250:26:28

when he discovered a trapped tenant in a Stowmarket bungalow.

0:26:280:26:32

-He hasn't been able to get out.

-Haven't you been out?

-No.

0:26:320:26:34

I didn't realise you'd been in here, not able to get out for five years.

0:26:340:26:38

Mr Peck's predicament was clearly a desperate one,

0:26:380:26:41

so Andrew has sprung into action.

0:26:410:26:43

It hit a nerve with me, really, because...

0:26:430:26:46

..it was quite grim and to know that he's off our radar

0:26:470:26:51

and the only reason that I'd actually got to meet him

0:26:510:26:54

was because we were going to put a ramp in,

0:26:540:26:57

I think that upset me a little bit.

0:26:570:26:59

Andrew's returned a few days later and this time he's not alone.

0:26:590:27:03

He's got some good news for Mr Peck and his niece, Mrs Howard.

0:27:080:27:12

All right, fella? How are you doing today?

0:27:120:27:15

-We're all right to do this, aren't we?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

0:27:150:27:18

So I've pulled in a few favours

0:27:180:27:21

and someone's going to cut back the stinging nettles, yeah?

0:27:210:27:25

So we can see what we've got. But I don't know

0:27:250:27:28

what your capabilities are going in a wheelchair,

0:27:280:27:30

but you said you want to self-propel, don't you?

0:27:300:27:34

But you can't always do it, can you, push him?

0:27:340:27:37

Yes, can you manage that?

0:27:430:27:46

You've never tried one. OK.

0:27:470:27:49

-13 years.

-That's right.

0:27:510:27:53

So do you go out of this room?

0:27:530:27:55

Yeah. But you've not been out of the bungalow...

0:27:570:28:00

for 13 years?

0:28:000:28:01

With Mr Peck confined to the room for five years

0:28:030:28:05

and not able to leave the house for 13 years,

0:28:050:28:08

access to the garden is clearly going to make a huge difference

0:28:080:28:12

to his life, so the guys get busy making short work of the long grass.

0:28:120:28:16

Fortunately, much of the dog muck has been removed,

0:28:180:28:20

leaving the path clear for Andrew and the team.

0:28:200:28:23

Don't tell everyone. Look at this, look at that, look.

0:28:230:28:27

Yeah, that's me done. Phew! That's hard work, isn't it? Huh?

0:28:270:28:30

HE LAUGHS

0:28:300:28:31

Look, I've got a sweat on, a right sweat on.

0:28:310:28:34

What do you think of it so far, then?

0:28:360:28:38

Yeah? You can see what they're going to do.

0:28:380:28:40

What they're going to do is they're going to weed-kill all this, yeah?

0:28:400:28:43

They're going to try and find some slabs,

0:28:430:28:45

because it's pointless us putting in all of these ramps and things

0:28:450:28:49

if this gets overgrown again,

0:28:490:28:51

and then we'll see what we can do

0:28:510:28:53

about how we get Mr Peck into the garden,

0:28:530:28:57

so we're trying to figure out now where we can...

0:28:570:29:00

how we can get him out.

0:29:000:29:01

With the garden looking more like somewhere

0:29:010:29:03

you could now sit out and enjoy, Andrew's next task is to work out

0:29:030:29:07

how to sort out the wheelchair access.

0:29:070:29:10

Right, the path is going to...

0:29:120:29:14

We're going to get rid of the shrubbery here

0:29:140:29:16

and the path will come along the side of the bungalow...

0:29:160:29:19

..out to about here and then cut in along here,

0:29:240:29:28

to the flat part of this path here.

0:29:280:29:32

Unfortunately, my idea of getting it out the back door isn't possible,

0:29:320:29:36

so it's got to be the plan B, which is go out the front.

0:29:360:29:40

LEAF BLOWER REVS

0:29:410:29:43

My worry is Mr Peck hasn't been out for 13 years,

0:29:430:29:46

so I don't quite know what he's capable of, so, you know...

0:29:460:29:50

..we can only hope that he does...

0:29:520:29:54

is able to get into that wheelchair and get into the garden.

0:29:540:29:58

Well, then, Mr Peck. Are you all right?

0:30:010:30:03

All done.

0:30:030:30:05

I've done all that garden for you myself.

0:30:050:30:08

Yeah, I got a bit sweaty, but I cleared that all by myself.

0:30:080:30:12

I do, don't I? If you believe that, you'll believe anything.

0:30:120:30:16

Yeah?

0:30:160:30:18

Yeah. There's a couple, two or three chaps out there,

0:30:180:30:20

but I did a very good job at pointing what needs to be done.

0:30:200:30:23

That was hard work.

0:30:230:30:25

I did crack the whip, yeah.

0:30:260:30:27

It's got a nice bit of garden there now.

0:30:270:30:30

-Thank you very much.

-It's really nice.

0:30:300:30:32

So the next thing is to try and plan for this pathway.

0:30:320:30:36

You could be sitting out there in a month's time, in a wheelchair.

0:30:370:30:41

In some fresh air. What do you think?

0:30:410:30:43

Yeah? I've got everything crossed,

0:30:450:30:46

but I obviously can't make any major promises,

0:30:460:30:49

but if I keep watching it, hopefully we'll get it done, all right?

0:30:490:30:54

OK.

0:30:540:30:56

Andrew's clearly feeling much more optimistic

0:30:560:30:58

than after our first visit.

0:30:580:31:00

There's still some way to go before Mr Peck has the chance

0:31:000:31:03

to return to the simple pleasures of a life outside his four walls.

0:31:030:31:07

My objective here today was to get the garden cut back

0:31:120:31:15

to see what we've got. We've done that today.

0:31:150:31:18

We've had the place measured, we can see what we need to do,

0:31:180:31:21

so the next job is to get that path put in

0:31:210:31:24

and get the garden...

0:31:240:31:26

Get those slabs in the garden.

0:31:260:31:28

So, in theory...

0:31:290:31:32

what I'm hoping to achieve now

0:31:320:31:34

is to go and sit in the garden with Mr Peck.

0:31:340:31:38

There's not many job satisfaction days like this,

0:31:380:31:41

but you've got to grab them when you can and, er...

0:31:410:31:43

..it'll be nice if he can get out

0:31:450:31:46

and get some fresh air for the first time in 13 years.

0:31:460:31:49

Well, a few weeks later and Andrew's returned.

0:31:550:31:58

The good news is the work is now complete,

0:31:580:32:01

allowing Mr Peck safe access to the garden.

0:32:010:32:05

After 13 long years confined to his bungalow,

0:32:050:32:08

he now has the chance to feel the sunshine on his face.

0:32:080:32:12

I'll tell you what, this isn't in my job description.

0:32:120:32:15

You're all right, don't you worry.

0:32:150:32:17

And he's nearly there.

0:32:170:32:18

Right, full steam ahead.

0:32:210:32:23

Yep, that's wide enough.

0:32:260:32:28

That is warm, look. There's your gate, look.

0:32:310:32:33

Here we go.

0:32:350:32:36

Well, well, well.

0:32:360:32:37

It's clearly an emotional moment.

0:32:390:32:41

You've got to get a bit used to it, won't you, fella, huh?

0:32:410:32:45

Hey?

0:32:450:32:46

And it's another example of how the life of a housing officer

0:32:490:32:53

can be anything but ordinary.

0:32:530:32:54

There you go, fella. Let's celebrate, shall we?

0:32:550:32:58

There you go, cheers.

0:32:580:33:00

Good health.

0:33:000:33:01

Yeah, it's a shandy. I've got the same as you.

0:33:040:33:06

Happy days.

0:33:070:33:09

Here's going out into the garden, yeah?

0:33:090:33:11

Oh, dear. Better not have too much of that!

0:33:150:33:17

HE LAUGHS

0:33:170:33:19

Cheerio, Mr Peck.

0:33:270:33:29

Bye, thanks.

0:33:290:33:30

All the best, yeah? Thank you.

0:33:300:33:32

It was all a bit too much for Mr Peck.

0:33:370:33:39

I think he's quite pleased.

0:33:390:33:41

He's not been out for 13 years,

0:33:410:33:43

so I think it probably got to him a little bit.

0:33:430:33:46

I just hope he can make use of it, I really do.

0:33:500:33:53

In the north-east of England, just before you hit Scotland,

0:34:000:34:03

lies the beautiful county of Northumberland.

0:34:030:34:06

It's a gorgeous setting

0:34:060:34:08

and you can't blame local residents for wanting to capture

0:34:080:34:10

a unique slice of this outdoor heaven in their own back yard.

0:34:100:34:15

But, today, housing officers Laura Barnett and Lindsay Jones

0:34:150:34:19

are out on their rounds, forced into the role of garden inspectors,

0:34:190:34:22

as one of their housing association tenants

0:34:220:34:25

may be guilty of letting her taste for the tranquil

0:34:250:34:28

go a little bit too far.

0:34:280:34:29

We're going to visit a lady who we've been working with

0:34:290:34:33

over the last couple of months

0:34:330:34:35

and there's been a number of issues in her garden -

0:34:350:34:37

grass, branches, trees, etc.

0:34:370:34:40

As well as a rather large structure.

0:34:410:34:44

Mrs Crisp has lived in her property for more than 30 years

0:34:450:34:49

and is clearly very house-proud.

0:34:490:34:51

But it's her plans to add an outdoor fish tank

0:34:510:34:53

that are the cause of today's trip.

0:34:530:34:56

I mean, a fish tank -

0:34:560:34:57

what could possibly be wrong with that?

0:34:570:35:00

It is just literally like a skip just in her garden.

0:35:020:35:06

It's not been filled with anything as yet...

0:35:060:35:09

..but she insists she wants to put koi carp in it.

0:35:100:35:13

It is a bit of an eyesore.

0:35:130:35:15

I mean, no, it doesn't quite blend in with the rest of the surroundings,

0:35:150:35:18

but surely it's Mrs Crisp's back garden,

0:35:180:35:21

and it should be up to her what she puts in it.

0:35:210:35:24

Well, yes and no.

0:35:240:35:25

As it's a housing association property,

0:35:250:35:27

they still remain the landlord,

0:35:270:35:29

which means Laura and Lindsay have a responsibility

0:35:290:35:32

to check all the correct safety and planning measures are put in place.

0:35:320:35:36

Mrs Crisp is joined by her neighbour, Craig,

0:35:360:35:39

who's keen to see his friend is given a fair hearing

0:35:390:35:42

when it comes to retaining her own private fishing rights.

0:35:420:35:45

The main concern is it doesn't look great at the minute.

0:35:450:35:47

It's been there since October or something

0:35:470:35:49

and you've not really done anything with it.

0:35:490:35:52

No, because you said we couldn't have the fish,

0:35:520:35:54

so that's why the fish aren't there.

0:35:540:35:55

But it was there for a good couple of months before we...

0:35:550:35:58

Oh, yes, it was there.

0:35:580:36:00

I just want to understand from a health and safety perspective,

0:36:000:36:05

I live next door and I have an ornamental pond in my garden...

0:36:050:36:09

Ah, but the rules are different for Craig next door.

0:36:090:36:12

But we're a landlord, it's different for private.

0:36:120:36:14

It's different to a private resident to a landlord,

0:36:140:36:17

because we have different things.

0:36:170:36:18

Like, if somebody comes into the garden,

0:36:180:36:21

was to climb in the tank and fall and drown...

0:36:210:36:24

That's the main reason why we're asking all these questions.

0:36:240:36:26

We've got trip hazards, you've got trees,

0:36:260:36:28

you've got any number of items in this garden

0:36:280:36:32

that could potentially injure somebody.

0:36:320:36:34

You're not telling me that all of those aspects

0:36:340:36:37

have got to be mitigated under health and safety?

0:36:370:36:40

The questions that we've asked...

0:36:400:36:41

In the same way that I next door have an ornamental pond,

0:36:410:36:43

which is a risk,

0:36:430:36:45

but I control who goes in and out of my garden

0:36:450:36:47

and if there are young children, I would warn them of the risk.

0:36:470:36:50

That's why we're saying at the moment,

0:36:500:36:52

-we're not out here today to give you an answer, yes or no.

-Right.

0:36:520:36:54

What we could be saying is that could be seen as an eyesore.

0:36:540:36:57

It's clear Lindsay and Laura are still keeping an open mind

0:36:570:37:00

on whether the fish tank gets the thumbs up or not,

0:37:000:37:03

but they are suggesting other ways Mrs Crisp could proceed.

0:37:030:37:07

If we were to actually grant permission,

0:37:070:37:10

one of the conditions is we would be asking you to fully submerge it.

0:37:100:37:13

Wouldn't that make it more of a risk?

0:37:130:37:15

No, because when it's submerged,

0:37:150:37:16

the cover is what we're saying is not an eyesore.

0:37:160:37:19

It's not an eyesore then.

0:37:190:37:21

But it's not an eyesore to me, I don't mind that tank here.

0:37:210:37:24

That's where we are on the realms of what is in the tenancy agreement.

0:37:240:37:27

So submerging the tank might be one way around the problem.

0:37:270:37:31

Mrs Crisp might have another.

0:37:310:37:33

If it was fenced up, you know, if it was done properly,

0:37:330:37:38

not just an eyesore, is that not classed as my garden furniture?

0:37:380:37:42

We could take that back and see if that would be acceptable,

0:37:420:37:46

whether there would be an acceptable approach to it.

0:37:460:37:50

If you don't mind, am I all right to measure it up?

0:37:500:37:53

So there are a couple of options for Mrs Crisp

0:37:530:37:55

which Lindsay and Laura promise to look into.

0:37:550:37:58

-Thank you.

-Thank you for coming out.

0:37:580:38:00

-Thank you.

-As long as I know how we stand.

0:38:000:38:02

Buried underground or disguised with cladding -

0:38:020:38:05

either way the decision could finally be an answer

0:38:050:38:07

to that age-old question,

0:38:070:38:09

fish pond or fish tank?

0:38:090:38:11

It's quite a large tank!

0:38:110:38:13

And I think that is our issue at the moment,

0:38:130:38:16

as is it a pond or is it a tank?

0:38:160:38:18

We would certainly say at the moment, yeah, that is a tank.

0:38:200:38:23

If it was a private property,

0:38:230:38:24

you would only have to deal with planning permission,

0:38:240:38:27

so that's a lot different to being a local tenant, I would guess,

0:38:270:38:30

to social housing.

0:38:300:38:32

We will obviously go back with the information that we've got

0:38:320:38:34

and go back to our health and safety officer again,

0:38:340:38:36

and we obviously have to go with whatever advice he gives us.

0:38:360:38:39

Obviously, we want the tenants to, you know, enjoy their home

0:38:390:38:42

and have the use of their garden,

0:38:420:38:44

but they signed a tenancy agreement at the start of their tenancy

0:38:440:38:47

and they do have to comply with what is in that, unfortunately.

0:38:470:38:50

Well, Mrs Crisp was granted permission for the tank to remain,

0:38:500:38:53

as long as it was clad to make it less obtrusive,

0:38:530:38:56

and a new fence was erected to prevent access to the garden

0:38:560:39:00

from the side of the house.

0:39:000:39:01

We're in the London Borough of Havering.

0:39:070:39:10

John and Shane are part of the council's enforcement team

0:39:100:39:12

who are looking to recover more than £100,000 in unpaid council tax.

0:39:120:39:17

After finding a creative way of recovering part of the debt...

0:39:170:39:21

The one thing they can't do is put their van in the front rooms.

0:39:210:39:24

..the boys are now at their third and final location for the day.

0:39:240:39:28

Unfortunately, getting inside is proving a problem.

0:39:290:39:32

The resident is a little bit camera-shy,

0:39:330:39:36

but John and Shane believe he is one of the people on their list.

0:39:360:39:39

It's not an arrest warrant, it's a warrant for us to remove goods

0:39:390:39:42

for not paying the council tax.

0:39:420:39:43

The thing is, sir, if you refuse access,

0:39:430:39:45

we can apply to the courts for a warrant to break it.

0:39:450:39:47

If you want to come out, we'll talk to you, fine, it's not a problem.

0:39:470:39:50

At the moment, he is refusing access.

0:39:500:39:53

He's asking us to go back to the court to get a warrant to enter.

0:39:530:39:56

He's not going to allow us in, but he's going to come out now

0:39:560:39:59

and we're going to try and discuss some sort of...

0:39:590:40:01

Stop pointing the camera at me.

0:40:010:40:03

He's here to video us, sir, so that's fine.

0:40:030:40:05

Don't point it at me.

0:40:050:40:06

All my council tax affairs are in order.

0:40:060:40:08

I've paid it. I know it is.

0:40:080:40:11

The man might not be keen to show his face,

0:40:110:40:13

but he does want John and Shane to know that, today,

0:40:130:40:16

it's a case of mistaken identity.

0:40:160:40:18

We've got one mobile home at Hogbar Farm West.

0:40:180:40:21

This isn't Hogbar Farm, you jackass. Hogbar Farm is up there.

0:40:210:40:24

No, I appreciate... Please, you don't have to call me a jackass.

0:40:240:40:27

I'm just explaining this to you.

0:40:270:40:28

Have you got some ID I can have a quick look at, please?

0:40:280:40:31

Want to see the spelling of your name,

0:40:310:40:32

make sure they've got it right, that's all.

0:40:320:40:34

Well, they definitely have issued warrants in your name...

0:40:340:40:37

..for a mobile home at Hogbar Farm West.

0:40:380:40:41

That's the wrong...

0:40:410:40:43

-I don't live in Hogbar Farm.

-Sorry, let me give you that back.

0:40:430:40:46

But these have been issued by the court.

0:40:460:40:48

I don't care who's issued them. I'll go to court with you.

0:40:480:40:50

I don't live in Hogbar Farm, I've nothing to do with Hogbar Farm.

0:40:500:40:53

-Have you ever lived on Hogbar Farm?

-No, never did.

0:40:530:40:55

-But you still are liable.

-I'm not liable.

0:40:560:40:59

That's what the council is saying.

0:40:590:41:00

Take me to court.

0:41:000:41:01

You have been taken to court. There is a warrant issued...

0:41:010:41:04

The next stage, sir, would be committal proceedings,

0:41:040:41:06

arrest warrants and things like that.

0:41:060:41:08

-That's what they'd be looking at, yeah?

-Arrest me.

0:41:080:41:10

I'll come down to the council office with you.

0:41:100:41:12

We've got no choice, we have to enforce it, sir, I'm afraid,

0:41:120:41:14

so we do need to come in and...

0:41:140:41:16

-You're not coming in here.

-Can I have a look?

0:41:160:41:19

-You, yourself, come in. You stay there.

-OK.

0:41:190:41:22

With John at least allowed inside, but not Shane or our cameras,

0:41:220:41:25

it's a chance to find out the whereabouts

0:41:250:41:27

of the other names on the warrant.

0:41:270:41:29

He's registered for council tax. Gone? Gone?

0:41:310:41:33

John's clearly not having much luck

0:41:330:41:35

and eventually Shane's allowed in to help,

0:41:350:41:37

but it seems the result is the same.

0:41:370:41:39

Not really getting much response.

0:41:440:41:46

He has shown me identification that showed the spelling of his name

0:41:460:41:49

is different to the one that we've got,

0:41:490:41:51

but we haven't actually got any warrants

0:41:510:41:53

for his name at this address,

0:41:530:41:55

so the other people that we're after,

0:41:550:41:57

apparently they don't live there.

0:41:570:41:59

We can't break into any of the flats,

0:41:590:42:01

we can't DVLA check the cars,

0:42:010:42:03

so there's pretty much not much we can do,

0:42:030:42:05

so we'll leave all the details and hopefully, you know,

0:42:050:42:09

we'll contact them and, you know, get the matter resolved.

0:42:090:42:12

It'll start the process,

0:42:120:42:14

it'll start the ball rolling of eventually getting it sorted out,

0:42:140:42:17

because they know, at the end of the day now, we're not messing about.

0:42:170:42:20

If they don't pay it,

0:42:200:42:22

we'll just come back with warrants to gain entry.

0:42:220:42:24

To be honest with you, we've come out alive, so we're all right.

0:42:240:42:26

It's not been too bad.

0:42:260:42:28

We didn't get any payments, but I'm pretty confident

0:42:280:42:30

that the council will get some phone calls

0:42:300:42:33

and payments will start getting made.

0:42:330:42:36

Well, the good news is that it seems that John and Shane's day out

0:42:360:42:39

wasn't a wasted trip. After their little run-around,

0:42:390:42:43

council tax for two of the properties

0:42:430:42:45

was paid in full for this year,

0:42:450:42:47

as well as a direct debit put in place to reduce the arrears.

0:42:470:42:51

In addition, the owners of the site are now working with the council

0:42:510:42:55

so that the occupants of the homes are identified

0:42:550:42:58

to ensure that council tax demands are made to the correct people.

0:42:580:43:02

This should lead to regular payments being monitored by the council

0:43:020:43:06

and will allow remaining arrears to be recouped,

0:43:060:43:09

which is a great result for John and Shane,

0:43:090:43:11

and for the other 97% of people in Havering

0:43:110:43:14

who DO pay their council tax.

0:43:140:43:16

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