A FATHER desperate to save his family from eviction pitched a tent outside Colchester Borough Homes’ office to demand a meeting with senior staff.

Katrina and Lee Parker, their six children and grand-daughter have been living in emergency accommodation since May.

They were handed an eviction notice and told they would have to move out by Wednesday.

Mr Parker, 42, claims he has been trying to contact the council to discuss the issue, but has had no response.

As a last resort he and his children put up a tent outside Rowan House office, in Sheepen Road, Colchester, on Friday and refused to move until they were seen by a senior member of staff.

After several hours, they were allowed to meet the head of housing who agreed to quash the eviction notice.

However, their contract will only be extended on a week-by-week basis until either the family or the council find them somewhere to live.

Mr Parker said: “I needed to get some answers or resolve the situation for the sake of our family.

“I’m relieved we’re not going to be evicted on Wednesday. Being a bank holiday weekend, it would be very difficult to get hold of anybody to appeal against it.

“There is no security for any of the family.

“They could place us anywhere. It could be Mersea or Halstead. It would cause us to disrupt the children’s education.”

Mr and Mrs Parker live with Bradley, Holly, Autumn, Stanley, Honey, Bluebelle and India, aged three to 19.

They first applied for council housing six years ago when their family became too big for their privately-rented home.

Mr Parker was made redundant as a retail manager 13 years ago, and claims he has been unable to find work despite applying regularly.

They were put into temporary, privately-rented accommodation in Margaret Road, Stanway.

Financial issues, which Mr Parker claims were due to the benefits cap, meant they were evicted and put into emergency accommodation in Hargood Close, Stanway.

The council classed Mr and Mrs Parker as “intentionally homeless”, which means, in its view, they could have avoided their plight.

A Colchester Borough Homes spokesman said: “We are providing temporary accommodation to the Parker family inathreebedroom home.

“The family were homeless following eviction from private rented accommodation, which had been secured some years previously by the council through its Home Bond scheme.

“Our Housing Options Team had previously provided advice and assistance to avoid this eviction.

“Mr and Mrs Parker have been found to be intentionally homeless. We will continue to work to respond to this situation.”