Family of four forced to live in Travelodge for months after being evicted by landlord

A Cornwall family have been forced to live in a Travelodge for four months after being evicted from their home.

Charlene Pascoe, 34, and her three children are currently staying in a hotel room in St Austell after their landlord told them they wanted to move back to the property they had been renting.

The family is eligible for social housing through Cornwall Council, but a shortage of properties has meant they are having to stay in the hotel until one becomes available.

The family, which includes Freya, 12, Kieran, 10, and Darcy, two, are struggling to cope in the cluttered room, which has three beds, a bathroom, a kettle and a cool box but no kitchen or living area.

They have been forced to rely on relatives and friends who live nearby for meals.

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Charlene, from St Blazey, has criticised Cornwall Council for the way it has handled her case as it continues to struggle to rehome the family.

She said: "Renting privately is just too expensive so we are limited in the options we have.

"All I can do is keep looking for council housing in the hope that I get lucky, although at the minute it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel."

The family were first uprooted back in March when their landlord decided to move back into the property they were renting.

Charlene could not find anywhere affordable in the area, and their first night after their tenancy ended they spent sleeping on her mother's floor.

Cornwall Council booked the family into a Premier Inn for a week before they were moved to St Austell Travelodge – where they have been ever since.

Now 15 weeks later they are no further forward, and Charlene is struggling to cope.

Charlene's mother Sonia Johns, 57, lives a 15-minute drive away and she has been spending as much time as possible there.

At her mum's, she can cook dinner for the children, wash their clothes and enjoy some time away from the hotel room which is cluttered with all their belongings.

Charlene, a support worker for adults with learning difficulties, added: "Having a two-year-old is a complete nightmare as everything is in her reach."

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Charlene said communicating with the council is near impossible and she is rarely updated on their living situation.

She said: "I look every day for houses on the council website to get us out of this mess but you can only bid on one property a week and it's always so busy.

"I have one daughter in big school, a son in junior school and a toddler starting nursery in September – but if we can't find somewhere soon they'll have to move schools.”

Charlene is paying £3.10 per night as a service charge for the room, and Cornwall Council are covering the rest.

Yahoo News UK has contacted Cornwall Council for comment.