The plight of a Medway Council tenant who claims to have been forced to move up north is featured in a programme being broadcast on ITV tonight.

The resident, referred to as Nick, tells presenter Ross Kemp about having to relocate 230 miles away to Bradford in Yorkshire.

When asked by Kemp "Why?", the tenant replies: "Because the council told me - because I was in temporary accommodation - if I didn't move they'd take all my five children off me and put them in care.

"I've three here and two more at school. They'd rather put them in care than help us find a house there."

Nick also claims not to have been able to return to Chatham because he could not afford a train ticket which costs £175 per person one way.

Another former anonymous Medway resident, was interviewed with his "emotional help" dog, Bobby.

He said: " He keeps me sane, basically. Medway Council gave me two options. They could house me in Medway without Bobby or to relocate to here. I turned round and said, you're taking my dog away from me, you're taking my life away basically. He's the one who's kept me alive."

When Kemp put Nick's claims to Medway Council it said it faced an increased demand for homes and prioritises residents most in need.

It offers a range of options to help families find permanent homes including relocation. An individual or family would not be relocated unless they chose to move, it said.

Ross Kemp: Living with "Forced Out" Families was on ITV at 7.30pm.

A Medway Council spokesman said: “We are committed to helping residents who are facing homelessness and we do have our own social housing properties however, we are facing increased demand for these homes. We therefore prioritise available properties for residents most in need, depending on their individual circumstances.

“We also commission temporary accommodation for people and families with nowhere to live to ensure they have somewhere to temporarily stay.

"We also support them during this time and we offer a range of housing options to help families find permanent homes which sometimes includes relocation, if appropriate. However, an individual or family would not be relocated unless they chose to move.

“We provide a range of support services to prevent people from needing temporary accommodation such as financial advice and mediation. We would encourage anyone who is facing homelessness to get in touch to access the support available.”

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