Homeless van man Philip Day ordered to move from Waterloo industrial estate

Oct 6 2010 By Huddersfield Examiner

A MAN who has been living in a van on an industrial estate for months has been ordered to move.

Philip Day, 58, was found living in a Mercedes box van on Tandem Way, Waterloo, in June, Huddersfield magistrates were told.

The court heard Day had been evicted from his former home at Burton Acres Drive, Highburton, after his co-tenant moved out, leaving him unable to pay the full rent.

But because Day still held a contract and owed rent on a former council home on Penistone Road, Waterloo, Kirklees Council refused to find him new accommodation.

Yesterday Huddersfield magistrates ordered the former bus driver Day to move the van by Friday evening.

Day, who admitted three charges of obstructing a highway, said a series of events over the last two years had made him homeless.

He said: "This is through no fault of my own.

"Kirklees Council in their wisdom maintain I’m responsible for the debts of Penistone Road even though I’ve not lived there for years.

"I acquired the vehicle and parked it in a place I deemed was out of the way.