Leeds Council forcing RAF veteran to leave his family home of 50 years and 'safe haven'

Garry Fitt, 55, suffers from PTSD after spending nearly 20 years in the RAF, and says the family home in Leopold Grove has always been a “safe haven” for him.

While it wouldn’t comment on Garry’s case, Leeds City Council said there was a shortage of family-sized council houses and would seek homes that better fit tenants that were ‘under-occupying’ houses.

After moving back to look after his mum a few years ago, customer service manager Garry succeeded the tenancy of her house when she passed away in 2018.

But he would get an unwelcome call from Leeds City Council one year later, telling him he was “underoccupying” the house and must live elsewhere.

Garry served in the Royal Air Force from 1985-2002, serving in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone. He has since been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and would often suffer from painful flashbacks of firefights he was involved in.

He said: “Living back in the family home has given me a sense of calm and my life seemed to be settled.

“In my mind, the family home has always been a safe haven as a child and in adulthood.

"When it was built in 1974, we were the first family to move in.

"You could put me in Buckingham Palace, but it would not replace this.”

Leeds City Council took Garry to court last week, and got an order from a judge to take back possession of the house.

"The anxiety started again,” he said. “At the moment, I am not sleeping at night and I feel really unsure about the future.”

As part of the court order, the council is to evict Garry and to move him into a flat, which would have an extra door fitted – something he requires after facing a traumatic event while on duty in which he was trapped, fighting for his life in a building with only one exit.

"They clearly believe I have PTSD,” said Garry. “So why on earth would they be doing this?

“There are over 1,000 council – owned empty properties in Leeds – they should spend some money getting those houses up to standard."

A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: "It would not be appropriate for us to comment on the personal circumstances relating to Mr Fitt’s case.

"However, in accordance with legislation, where a family member lives with a Council tenant, then at the point of the tenant’s death they may be eligible to succeed to the tenancy. If a succeeding family member is under occupying the property then we may look to serve notice on the tenant and make an offer of a home which is more suitable to the succeeding tenant’s needs.

"The court would consider the reasonableness of the action taken in determining whether possession is granted. There are significant pressures for social housing in Leeds, particularly for family housing - there are currently just over 26,000 applicants on the Leeds Homes Register.

"In taking decisions to pursue possession of a home we always do so taking into consideration the needs of the succeeding tenant and meeting urgent housing need for family housing in Leeds.