Rainham man had to live in van after false paedophile claims

Phil (not his real name) said he was forced to flee his Rainham home of 13 years and live “on the road” because a vigilante gang kept trying to attack him.

He contacted the Romford Recorder to complain that Havering Council was refusing to help him find new accommodation.

Now he says he is finally being taken seriously after the paper got involved.

False accusation

Phil says his ordeal started at a convenience store when he queued behind two teenage girls.

After they paid and went to leave, he said he told them: “Girls, have a lovely evening. Take care of yourselves and be safe.”

At that, he said, another customer began shouting at him, demanding to know if he was a paedophile.

“I held my head and thought, ‘Did that just happen?'” said Phil. “I said he couldn’t go around calling people that. We had a little to and fro and then I left.

“That was the Saturday night. On the Sunday night, I had people knocking on my door saying, ‘Come out or we are coming in’.”

Phil, who lived in a privately rented three-bedroom house in Rainham, has spent months sleeping on the metal floor of his van - a space he shared with his pet dog (Image: Charles Thomson)

He waited silently until they left, he said, but they kept coming back.

“He was getting other people to come round at the front door,” said Phil. “I’m disabled. I couldn’t defend myself.”

He became frightened to switch on his lights or television in case the vigilantes could see he was at home.

One night, after yet another visit, he said: “I waited until they left, got in the van and went. I’ve been on the road ever since.”

The Metropolitan Police confirmed Phil had filed a harassment report, saying that “a number of men had attended his house on several occasions and told him to come out”.

That case has since been closed, but could be reopened if new evidence comes to light.

Van life

Last week, the Recorder met Phil in Harold Wood, on his way to a medical appointment.

He had rheumatoid arthritis throughout his lower body, leaving him reliant on a walking stick and deemed unfit for work.

He said he had spent more than half a year sleeping on the metal floor of his small van, beside his pet dog.

“It’s taking its toll on me now,” he said. “I’m not well. I’m run down. I’m not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel. The depression is kicking in. I can’t do this anymore. I just can’t.

“My disability is getting worse and worse. It doesn’t help, me being in this vehicle. My body is failing me.”

Phil, who is disabled and requires a walking stick, said living in his van had caused a significant deterioration in his health (Image: Charles Thomson)

Occasionally he found a room in Travelodge for £29, he said, but for the most part he was living in his van.

“I’m not bathing regularly,” he said. “I’m also not eating regularly, because if you eat then you’ll need the toilet. There aren’t many public toilets open 24 hours.”

Phil said that most mornings, at around 6am, he went to a Greggs or a Tesco with a toilet, where he could also wash and shave.

He said he had approached Havering Council, hoping to find supported accommodation, but it had asked for bank statements and questioned how he was affording occasional nights in a Travelodge.

“They’re treating me as the criminal, not as the victim,” he said. “I’ve had enough of it.”

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Last Thursday, May 25, we asked Havering Council what it was doing to help Phil. The day after we questioned the council, he was placed in a budget hotel in Essex.

The following day, he said, a supervisor from the housing team called him and he was placed in emergency hotel accommodation in Essex.

Phil believes he was finally helped thanks to our intervention.

“I find it very strange,” he said. “For seven months I’ve been fighting to get what I need and had no joy. As soon as they hear from you, they want to help me.”

Havering confirmed that its housing team was in touch with Phil.

“We have placed him in emergency accommodation and will support him to find private rented property where he feels safe,” the authority said.

It said it would organise an occupational therapy assessment to ascertain his housing needs.