A WINSFORD mother was stunned when she returned from the chip shop to find her house boarded up!

Jane French found the door and windows of her home in Vauxhall Way blocked by metal shutters last Monday night - six days before her tenancy agreement was due to expire.

In a panic, Jane, with her two-year-old daughter Amy, ran to her mother's house on Austin Close where she had to spend the next two nights.

She said: "I was hysterical. The curtains had been ripped down and things thrown on the floor - it was an absolute mess.

"When we couldn't get in I ran across to my mum's but as it was 8 o'clock when we got back it was too late for the council to send someone round to take the boards off.

"They didn't come off until Wednesday so I was away from home for two nights. My little girl doesn't know whether she's coming or going.

"I'd only been out for an hour and couldn't believe I was locked out."

In July, Jane, 24, was told to give four weeks notice before leaving Vauxhall Way to move in with her boyfriend in Leyland Walk.

Although this notice was not up until Sunday, Vale Royal Borough Council have said that on Monday night there was only a small amount of bedding and a mattress in the house and they believed it to be unoccupied.

A spokesman said: "On Monday, we received a report that the door to the house had been forced open.

"Believing that she had vacated the property and that it was insecure and open to further damage, it was decided that we should protect the premises and board the door.

"We took action to protect the premises and any property belonging to Miss French which was still in the house."

Jane has now moved to Leyland Walk permanently, but is still unhappy with her treatment.

She added: "Doing this is costing the council money. I've been living there for the four weeks they told me to so I've got nothing to hide."

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