The mother of a homeless teenager who tried to take his own life has said he told her “mummy, I just can’t deal with it anymore”.
Mary (not her real name), 47, her son, 17, and her daughter, 12, have been living in one room of a bed and breakfast since they were evicted from a privately rented flat in November 2022 after the landlord decided to sell.
Under the Housing Act, it is unlawful for councils to keep households with children or pregnant women in temporary accommodation for more than six weeks.
The family have now been waiting for Croydon council to find them somewhere permanent to live for 15 months.
Mary showed Sky News her unanswered emails to the council notifying them of her son’s overdose and subsequent hospital stay.
Sky News has also seen an NHS assessment of her son’s mental health following his suicide attempt in January, which states: “One of the stressors indicated in our assessment was poor living condition…[he] described the place as tiny, lack of privacy, smells, personal space.”
The report goes on to suggest that other residents also pose a hazard: “We observed there is risk from others rating as moderate – [he] describes being in a nerve-racking environment, men wearing tags, unhygienic and loud chaotic hostel.”
It ends with the advice: “Explained to mum to lock all digestible and sharps in a box under lock and key.”
Sitting in the cramped room where they live, in a building with dozens of other residents, Mary explained how heartbreaking those words were to read.
Advertisement
“I feel as a mother, it’s like I let down my two children,” she said.
She told Sky News how her children ask if they’re moving out every day. She gets up at 4am to ensure she can send her children to school on time and arrive at her job as a care assistant.
The latest statistics from the government revealed 2,680 households with children had been in bed and breakfast accommodation for more than the statutory limit of six weeks. That’s up 121.5% from 30 September 2022 when the number was 1,210.
A short distance away in one room of a smaller converted terraced house, Rose, 21, is studying to become an air traffic controller. Her two daughters, four and one, are getting their toys out of plastic bags piled high in a corner.
This room is all Rose’s youngest daughter Liorra has known. They’ve been living here for a year and 10 months, waiting for the council to find them a permanent home. As a student, private rent in South London is out of the question for Rose.
But she worries constantly about the impact of being homeless on her children and the drug-taking of other residents right outside their room.
She said: “If my window’s open, everything comes in here, or they will just be blasting music and doing whatever they’re doing. And my kids are trying to sleep, but they can’t sleep.”
Croydon Council did not comment on the cases of Mary and Rose after being approached by Sky News. Instead, a spokesperson said: “Like other London councils, we are facing increasing demand for affordable accommodation.
“Unfortunately, this means that there are not always permanent homes available for families as quickly as we would like.”
One reason families are losing homes is landlords being forced to sell. The government promised to ban so-called no fault evictions, yet they’re happening at a growing rate.
A no fault eviction is when a landlord uses Section 21 of the Housing Act to notify a tenant that they have to leave without having to provide an explicit reason.
The number of households at risk of losing their homes under Section 21 notices rose to 25,180 in the year ending September 2023, according to government figures released last Thursday.
Terri is a landlady who had to evict a young family from a house in West Sussex after she began losing money.
She blames the economy, explaining: “The mortgage payments were £154 a month. They’ve now gone to £700 a month. The result of this is, sadly, I had to make a young mother and two young children a no fault eviction and they’ve had to leave the property.
Terri has a family of her own, and sympathises with how difficult it is to find a property.
“It’s actually broken my heart to do it. But at the end of the day, I’ve also got bills to pay myself and children to support.”
Additional reporting by Nick Stylianou, Communities producer and Sarah O’Connell, specialist producer.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
It has been fewer than two years since Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves told Tory MP Natalie Elphicke to “f*** off” for criticising Marcus Rashford at the Euros. Now they are colleagues.
The Dover MP has long been critical of the Labour Party – especially on immigration – but she now says the party has “changed out of all recognition” and is trying to create “a Britain everyone can be a part of”.
Ms Elphicke added that the Conservatives “ousted” Boris Johnson in a “coup led by the unelected Rishi Sunak” – with the party now a “byword for incompetence and division”.
So who is Natalie Elphicke, what are her policies, and why did she defect?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:51
Defecting Tory MP crosses floor to Labour
Who is Natalie Elphicke?
Professionally a solicitor, Ms Elphicke was long involved in Conservative Party politics, working with thinktanks and on policy goals.
She was not selected to contest a parliamentary seat until 2019 – despite trying before – although the opportunity emerged from scandal.
Advertisement
Her now ex-husband, Charlie Elphicke, had been the Conservative MP for Dover, but he was arrested, charged and eventually convicted of three counts of sexual assault in 2020.
Ms Elphicke contested the Dover seat in 2019 for the Conservatives after her husband’s arrest, and almost doubled the majority to 12,278.
She will not be standing at the next general election, and campaigned for Liz Truss to become prime minister in 2022.
What are her policies?
Ms Elphicke has been outspoken on migration, especially as the MP for Dover.
It was alongside Ms Elphicke that Rishi Sunak announced his plan to stop small boats crossing the English Channel was working in Dover last year.
In the minutes after her defection, Conservative MPs began sharing previous statements from Ms Elphicke.
For example, in April 2023, Ms Elphicke wrote in the Daily Express that Labour’s attempts to stop the Rwanda deportation scheme was “dangerous” – and that Sir Keir Starmer wanted to create “loopholes” in the system.
And Tory MPs also shared a social media post from late 2022 in which Ms Elphicke claimed: “A reminder that Labour back fewer and weaker border controls when it comes to illegal arrivals on our shores.”
In the wake of England’s loss in the Euro 2020 final – held in 2021 due to COVID – Ms Elphicke sent a private message which said: “They lost – would it be ungenerous to suggest Rashford should have spent more time perfecting his game and less time playing politics.”
She later apologised, although when asked about the comments, Ms Reeves said in late 2022 that Ms Elphicke should “f*** off”.
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Spreaker
This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Spreaker cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Spreaker cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Spreaker cookies for this session only.
In a statement shared by the Labour Party, Ms Elphicke mentioned Mr Sunak “failing” on keeping “our borders safe and secure”.
She added: “Meanwhile Labour plan to build the homes we need, help young people onto the housing ladder and care about the vulnerable and homeless. That’s why I’m honoured to have been asked to work with Keir and the team to help deliver the homes we need.
“We need to move on from the broken promises of Rishi Sunak’s tired and chaotic government. Britain needs a government that will build a future of hope, optimism, opportunity and fairness.
“A Britain everyone can be part of, that will make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead. That’s why it’s time for change. Time for a Labour government led by Keir Starmer.
Every match from the opening round of the three English Football League (EFL) divisions will be streamed live in a broadcasting first.
The airing of all 36 fixtures on the weekend of 10 and 11 August will be on a new Sky Sports + service from the parent company of Sky News.
It marks the start of a new five-year broadcasting rights deal between Sky and the EFL, covering the professional leagues below the Premier League.
Sky Sports managing director Jonathan Licht said: “For the first time, we will broadcast every game live from across the EFL on the opening weekend.
“It’s going to be a huge moment for football fans up and down the country and is a fitting way to kick off our ground-breaking new partnership with the EFL.”
Matches that kick-off at 3pm on Saturdays cannot usually be broadcast live to UK audiences due to a long-running blackout rule.
Also known as Article 48, it is a blacked-out period between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturday afternoons when live football can’t be shown, meaning on most weekends the main broadcast fixtures are done around this time period.
But for the opening weekend, the blackout would not be in place, with the Premier League starting a week later.
The latest round of branch closures will start in September, and continue through to May next year.
TSB will have 175 branches across the UK after the latest round of closures. Ten branches have already been closed over the last year.
The branches to be closed in September are in: Alloa Bedworth Birmingham, Pype Hayes Bridlington Buxton Carmarthen Cwmbran Dovercourt Edinburgh, Leith Felixstowe Frome Glasgow, Cardonald Glasgow, Castlemilk Haddington Hounslow Lerwick Leven London, Bethnal Green London, Clapham Longton Manchester, Middleton Newcastle upon Tyne Peterhead Sheerness Stornoway Torquay Whitehaven
The branches due to be closed in May 2025 are in: Amble Aylsham Banff Bedlington Bude Crook Flint Tenbury Wells Whitchurch
The closures come as the lender said most account holders do their banking online and there is a need to “better balance” staff in face-to-face and digital roles.
A TSB spokesperson said it is making the changes “to remain competitive” and “to simplify the way we operate”.
“Our priority is to consult with impacted colleagues to ensure they’re fully supported, maximising redeployment opportunities where we can,” the spokesperson added.
“We remain committed to a national branch network and through innovation and integration with video, telephone, digital, branch and other face-to-face services TSB customers have more ways to bank with us than ever before.”
The workers who are due to lose their jobs “perform essential work in the fraud departments and across the branch network”, Unite regional officer Andy Case said.
“Through extensive negotiations Unite has been able to substantially reduce the number of jobs at risk. However, that isn’t sufficient, the union is pressing TSB to urgently reconsider its damaging bank branch closures plan.
“At a time when customers are increasingly concerned about financial fraud and often need support from a local bank branch this is the wrong course of action.”
The union said it is holding fresh talks with TSB in an attempt to prevent further job cuts.
Cuts were anticipated after the boss of TSB’s Spanish parent firm Sabadell told reporters in February that cost-saving plans would result in job losses and branch closures.