I wanted to share an update with everyone who has signed, shared, or simply taken the time to read my story.
First – thank you.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. 171 of you have now signed. Your support has given me confidence when I felt I had none. I am out of my comfort zone here—I never wanted to be doing this. I wanted to be on my plot, growing my vegetables, in peace.
But watching vulnerable people being bullied, intimidated, and unfairly treated… and feeling helpless to stop it… was eating me alive. Doing nothing felt like letting it happen. Your support reminds me that I am not alone. And that means more than I can say.
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Official Involvement – The Ombudsman and Information Commissioner
Two independent bodies are now looking into this:
· The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has reopened my case. They are reviewing how Southend Council handled my complaint and the evidence I provided.
· The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is now involved because the council refused my Freedom of Information request. I asked for records of what investigation actually took place. They said no. I have challenged that.
These are not decisions I took lightly. But after the council's Stage 2 response dismissed witness statements, a petition signed by 75% of tenants, and clear constitutional breaches as "insufficient evidence"—without interviewing a single witness—I felt I had no choice.
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What I Am Fighting For
This has never been about me.
It is about a war veteran going blind, who the committee tried to evict by stopping anyone from helping him.
It is about a disabled plot holder recovering from surgery, who received a malcultivation notice without anyone asking how he was.
It is about a plot holder facing harassment, while the committee did nothing.
It is about a plot holder with Long COVID who was evicted - left under the threat of eviction without anyone checking on his health first.
It is about democracy being suspended—the AGM cancelled, no elections, no accountability.
And it is about a council that has looked at all of this and said: "We cannot take a side."
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Your Support Helps More Than You Know
I am out of my comfort zone. I feel like I am paddling without a paddle sometimes. But knowing that good-hearted people are standing with me—reading my story, signing, sharing—it gives me strength.
If you haven't signed yet, please will you? And if you have, please share with one more person. Every signature tells the council and the committee: We are watching. This matters.
Petition link: https://c.org/9jtfrDHdrV
Thank you.