PLANS to demolish the home of a 75-year-old Lydney woman stepped up a gear on Monday as she presented Two Rivers with 1,300 petitions.

After six weeks of solid campaigning, Beryl who lives at 7 Orchard Road, joined forces with her family to hand over the signed petitions rejecting plans to demolish her home.

Two Rivers sent a letter to Beryl back in February stating that the house next door is structurally unsafe, and at risk of collapse, and in the next few years her's could be too.

"We are being perceived as an uncaring landlord but, in actual fact, quite the opposite is true," explained Andrew Treweek, head of maintenance at Two Rivers.

"We are doing this because we believe it will become unsafe for Mrs Watts to continue living there and we want to take pre-emptive action. We are extremely sympathetic to her situation, but we are putting her long-term welfare first.

"We are responsible for the structural integrity of our houses and the safety of our tenants. The information we have – provided by an independent structural engineer – makes it clear that there is a potential risk to Mrs Watts if she continues to live there and we have to act upon that.

"We now intend to write to the signatories to explain that the petition is based on false information, and to set out the situation. We have taken photographs of the structural damage at no 5 to explain why we are concerned for the welfare of its tenant in the adjoining house."

Chair of Two Rivers, David Garnett, further added: "...we must think very carefully about how we spend our money and we have to consider the needs of all of our 3,800 tenants. I question whether they would think that spending £80,000 of their rent on trying to patch up two houses, that should be knocked down, is good value.

"I am deeply concerned by the way we have been mis-represented over this situation. I hope that we can work with Mrs Watts and her family to find a new home where she will be safe and comfortable."

However, Beryl's daughter Julie Jenkins says: "If the property next to my mum's is 'unstructurally unsafe' then why has it taken Two Rivers two years to notify my mum? I have also demanded to see a copy of the structural engineer's report and been 'fobbed off' by Two Rivers who claim that it is 'commercially sensitive information, that is inappropriate to share' – they clearly have a hidden motive."

Town and county councillor Alan Preest said: "I think that Two Rivers is a morally bankrupt cash-driven organisation."

Julie added: "I wish to thank all those who signed our petition and for their ongoing support it means a great deal to the family – especially to my mum.

"If they demolish the house they will put more houses on the land.

"With their large gardens they are ideal for families and they should be repaired and stay."