Police seal off home as tenant fights eviction

Bobby Ahmed, 23, locked himself into a house in Overmead Green, Blackbird Leys, to stop bailiffs evicting him, his partner Vicki Harbert and their 20-month-old son Kyrone Ahmed.

The siege began at midday when police were called in after bailiffs were threatened.

Mr Ahmed has just completed a 15-month jail sentence at Bullingdon Prison after being involved in a fight on a football pitch.

He returned home about four weeks ago to be told rent had not been paid on the house and housing benefits applications must be renewed.

Earlier in the day, Ms Harbert had left the home with her son.

Police cordoned off the road, but stood down shortly before 6pm as they considered there was no longer a threat to anyone.

They were due to meet city council officials again on June 5, to discuss the situation. Mr Ahmed was believed to be still in the house.

His mother, Lorraine Lewis, insisted her son was not armed.

She said he believed he was entitled to stay in the house and should still be eligible for benefit.

The family claimed Oxford City Council's housing benefits office had failed to make payments automatically to cover rent on the house, where Vicki Harbert has lived for nearly three years.

Ms Lewis said: "The council said no rent has been received since January. But it should have been paid by the benefits office.

"It was all meant to be sorted out, but it was taken to court. They want to chuck the family out of their home."

A city council spokesman said the eviction was legitimate as renewed applications had not been made in time.

Officers said they never pursued eviction proceedings when there was doubt over a benefit application.

Tenancy services manager Laurinda Hornblow said the council was obliged to act.

She said: "The property has been in arrears for more than two years and eviction proceedings started several weeks ago.

"Two separate judges granted the council the right to evict."