Elderly 'worried sick' over house for ex-convicts
A house in Rugeley is being turned into accommodation for homeless criminals - much to the anger of neighbours.
A petition has been launched by furious residents - mostly elderly - living in Grindcobbe Grove.
Homeless young men, including former offenders, will be moving into a house in the road after it was bought by a charity.
Town councillor Pat Hancock, who lives in the road, said: "There are a lot of elderly and infirm who live round here and they are worried sick about this."
But a local church, which will help to run the household, is appealing to residents to have a change of heart.
Patricia Lloyd, a member of the Victory Church in Anson Street, said: "We are only taking in young men who want to turn their lives around.
"They are all someone's son, brother, uncle, people who may not have had the best start in life who deserve another chance."
The £105,000 terraced house has been bought by Green Pastures, a Christian social enterprise that buys properties identified by local churches and other charitable groups for people in need.
The charity currently houses 400 people nationally and aims to boost the number to 1,000 by the end of the year.
The Victory Church will maintain the property, which has four bedrooms and two bathrooms and support the occupants to find work, manage their money and fill out paperwork. The house is intended as a temporary home for up to four males.
But Councillor Hancock added: "This is not a case of 'not in my back yard'. The house was previously fitted out with state-of-the-art equipment for a disabled person and it's annoying that it can't be used by someone who could make use of those facilities.
"We know that Green Pastures provides homes for ex-convicts and the homeless and that's not suitable in a spot surrounded by about 30 OAP bungalows. This has really made people angry."
Mrs Lloyd said she was keen to allay residents' fears.
"I feel heartsore that residents feel that way. This is not a house for hardened criminals or sex offenders as people seem to fear. Some may have been in prison but not for serious offences and they will be vetted to a much higher degree than a normal tenant would be.
"It will not be a 'forever' house. It's only for people committed to turning their lives around and that will be difficult for them without a home address."
She said she would be visiting the house almost daily to support the tenants and ensure the house was being maintained.