Racist row woman fights eviction

Most of Glasgow's refugees are housed in Sighthill

The lawyer for a woman threatened with eviction from her home in Glasgow's Sighthill has said he will vigorously fight any attempt to force her out.

The woman's twin sons are alleged to have led racist attacks on asylum seekers housed in the area.

Lawyer Paul Reid confirmed that the family had received notice to quit their flat in Sighthill, where most of Glasgow's asylum seekers are housed.

He said the next move was up to the council.

Vigorously defend

In order to enforce an eviction, they would have to take the case to court.

At that point he said, they would vigorously defend the action which he thought could last up to six months.

The mother-of-four faces possible eviction from her home in the Sighthill area of Glasgow, where tensions are running high between local people and refugees.

Housing chiefs said a notice had been served on the 42-year-old to recover the flat on the estate.

Recover possession

It is understood the latest difficulties come after other problems between the city council and the family.

A city council spokesman said: "We have served notice to recover possession of the property in Sighthill. It was served last week.

"The tenant has 28 days to respond to the notice from the day it was issued, under the terms of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1998."

If proceedings are raised against the woman a hearing will take place before a sheriff who will be asked to determine whether or not the allegation of anti-social behaviour is proved and, if so, should it lead to eviction.

The spokesman said the council issued a warning to the woman two weeks ago for alleged unruly behaviour.

The action is believed to be as a result of alleged incidents relating to the woman's 14-year-old twin sons.

Stormy meetings

However the woman claimed in The Herald newspaper that her family was being made a scapegoat by the council.

She told the paper: "Because my two twins are identical they are easily spotted and they get the blame.

"But the concierges in the flats here say my boys are not trouble."

A number of stormy meetings have taken place in an attempt to calm the atmosphere in Sighthill where the majority of Glasgow' refugees are housed.

According to police figures there have been 70 racist attacks in the city over the last 13 months.

The city has an estimated 3,500 asylum seekers - most of whom live in Sighthill - and a council spokesman said this number was expected to rise to between 6,500 and 7,000 by the autumn.

Campaigners from the Scottish Refugee Council have warned that asylum seekers in Glasgow had started to arm themselves with knives because they feared for their lives.