Cancer-stricken dad saved from bailiffs' eviction when crowd of 500 strangers surround his house

A cancer sufferer from Nottingham declared victory over bailiffs looking to evict him after a 500-strong crowd of strangers formed a blockade around his home - forcing them to turn back.

Tom Crawford, 63, has been fighting the bailiffs in an on-going battle over claims that he owes £43,000 in outstanding mortgage repayments.

Today - six months after the first eviction attempt which saw 300 strangers turn up to stop the bailiffs after a YouTube plea  - they were again forced to abandon plans to expel him from his home of 27 years.

Mr Crawford was last week ordered to vacate his property by 10:30am today, at which point bailiffs would repossess his home.

Supporters turned up to Mr Crawford’s home in their hundreds from 7am donning the grandfather-of-two’s trademark straw hat with the words ‘I am Tom Crawford’ written across them.  

When a white transit van and black mercedes containing bailiffs arrived at 11am, they were unable to reach the bungalow because of the crowd.

Mr Crawford - who has prostate cancer - retired from fitting carpets two years ago due to ill health.

He said: ‘I am humbled by all of the people here.

’There are not enough words in the English Dictionary for how I feel. There were about 350 people here last time and I think there may be more now.

‘All I did was make a little video about what was happening to us and people supported it, but then they came banging on my door again seven days ago.

He and his wife Susan, 54, took out an endowment mortgage with the now defunct Bradford and Bingley to buy the bungalow for £41,800 in 1988.

He and Susan, who works in market research, paid £300-£400 in monthly mortgage repayments and expected to own the property when the mortgage came to an end in 2013.

But he claims the bank told him 2007 that he would never pay off his mortgage because there was no record of him taking out the endowment mortgage.

He then says a bank manager assured him this was incorrect and even sent his wife champagne to apologise for the blunder.

But soon he was embroiled in a court battle over the mortgage, which he says the bank converted into an interest only loan without his knowledge.

Mr Crawford said he would ‘rather die’ than move from his home.

He said: ‘The bailiffs have just come along but won't show us the documents. There were huge guys inside the vans and we don't get people like that round here.’

Yesterday bailiff firm UK Asset Resolution Limited confirmed they would seek legal advice on whether Mr Crawford could be arrested for breaching the court order.