A DISABLED woman fears she may be forced out of the home she has lived in for 53 years following the death of her mother.Patricia Bagley, of Turner Road, Ipswich, has been warned that she may be evicted from her council house because it cannot be passed down to a family member a second time.

A DISABLED woman fears she may be forced out of the home she has lived in for 53 years following the death of her mother.

Patricia Bagley, of Turner Road, Ipswich, has been warned that she may be evicted from her council house because it cannot be passed down to a family member a second time.

When her father died the three-bedroomed terraced house was passed to her mother, but now her mother has died Miss Bagley has been told she cannot stay there, receiving a letter from the council just four days after her mother's death.

The 65-year-old, who is disabled by arthritis and neck and muscle problems, has lived on the Gainsborough estate all her life and has a 580-signature petition to help her keep the house.

Miss Bagley's mother died on August 8 and she was still deeply upset when she received the letter.

She said: "I haven't had time to grieve for my mum. I am still so upset and depressed and then I get all this trouble with the house.

"I am scared for my future and it's just more pressure and turmoil that I don't need.

"The council have given me six months longer in the house but this has just left me in limbo. It's not fair to leave me living like this."

Miss Bagley thought that she would inherit the tenancy from her mother because a married couple only counted as one party.

She said: "The council are saying that they can only hand the house down once but I always thought a husband and wife counted as one person.

"They handed it to my mother when my father died so now they can't hand it down to me."

A spokeswoman for Ipswich Borough Council said: "We are very sympathetic towards Miss Bagley and have taken into consideration her circumstances.

"We are unable to offer Miss Bagley tenancy of the property as a transfer has already taken place and under housing legislation only one transfer is permissible.

"An additional issue is that the property will be under-occupied.

"With this in mind are happy for her to remain in the property for an additional six months. At the end of the six months we will meet with Miss Bagley again to discuss her individual housing needs and offer her appropriate alternative accommodation."

What do you think? Should Miss Bagley be allowed to keep her home? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk or visit the forum at www.eveningstar.co.uk.