A MOTHER-of-three whose house is in the path of a new £15million relief road today claimed her family is being treated like "vermin".Trudi Glass has lived in Milton Road East, Stowmarket for the past 23 years but has resigned herself to moving as the bulldozers prepare to start work.

A MOTHER-of-three whose house is in the path of a new £15million relief road today claimed her family is being treated like "vermin".

Trudi Glass has lived in Milton Road East, Stowmarket for the past 23 years but has resigned herself to moving as the bulldozers prepare to start work.

Only three of the 11 houses in the street are still occupied, with the empty properties boarded up.

Other families have moved out in anticipation of building work starting on the new road, which will link the Cedars Park area to the town centre.

But Mrs Glass, 42, claims the £105,000 Suffolk County Council has offered for her three-bedroom terrace house is not enough to purchase anything comparable in the town.

"It's a joke and it's frightening that they can do this, she said.

"They've made us an offer for this house but I've got three teenage children and for what they're offering I'd have to go a lot smaller.

"I've even had one estate agent offer to write me a letter to say there's no way that I could replace this house for that money."

The route of the road was first revealed around 15 years ago and Mrs Glass has resigned herself to uprooting, but claims she had no chance to air her views.

"There has been very little information from Suffolk County Council and that has been my big argument with them, she said.

"We never stood a chance. You can't have people standing in the way of progress but at the same time we've got no rights our own home and that's frightening.

"We're being treated as an infestation. We're unwanted vermin and that's how I feel. I think the whole thing is wrong. It might be legally right but it's morally wrong."

Mrs Glass added she is expecting to have moved out by the middle of next year.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk County Council said the demolition of the properties would not take place until negotiations had been completed with the owners.

She added: "There have been discussions with the particular owner over a considerable period of time, but to date the owner has not been successful in finding an equivalent home.

"The council will continue to be as flexible as possible in its approach and assist as much it can in what are, understandably, difficult circumstances."

If negotiations are completed successfully, building work could start on the road in early 2005.

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