by JENI CONNIBEER

Loyal neighbours from a Barnet housing estate turned out in force at an area forum on Monday to show their support for a man facing eviction.

The protesters gave councillors and officers a hard time over a decision to kick out Stephen Day, a single dad who has lived in Brent Place for 24 years.

'I felt really great having all those people there to support me,' said Mr Day. 'This has been going on for five years now and it is getting me down but after that meeting I feel much better.

Maybe something will happen now.'

Mr Day is being evicted because he is not the official tenant of the house he lives in with his seven-year-old son Lewis.

But this would probably never have come to light if he hadn't told the council himself.

'I went to see the housing department because I was having trouble with the rent. That's when they found out I wasn't the tenant, even though I had been paying rent in my name for 20 years,' explained Mr Day.

He originally moved in as a lodger in 1976 with a friend who moved out eight years ago. Since then he has put in double glazing, completely decorated the house and created a home for Lewis. He has also had a three-year court battle, which he has lost, and now faces bailiffs on August 2.

At the forum on Monday his neighbours heckled councillors. 'You were quite happy to take his money, why throw him out now?' one protester shouted.

Councillor Pauline Coakley Webb said: 'There's nothing I can promise, I can only promise to look into it. It's difficult because the forum is not the place to be taking up individual issues.'

jconnibeer@london.newsquest.co.uk