Farmer told to quit his home (From Gazette & Herald)

Farmer told to quit his home

FARMER George Copeland has been issued with a fresh eviction notice, ordering him to quit the Ryedale farm where he has lived all his life.

York County Court has issued a warrant for the possession of Walnut Tree Farm at Thorpe Bassett, Rillington, near Malton, and Mr Copeland has been told he must leave by lunchtime on March 27.

The issuing of the notice is the latest twist in a long-running saga. The farmer was originally due to be evicted in January, before he won a last-minute reprieve at the court.

A judge delayed the eviction to give him a chance to appeal on human rights grounds, but his legal actions eventually failed.

The 53-year-old farmer has now appealed for his landlord, the Cholmley estate, to "show compassion" and allow him to remain on the farm where he was born and which he says has been his life and his livelihood.

He stressed that he was being evicted because he was twice late paying the rent in 2000 following financial difficulties, rather than having failed to pay the money.

He said he had been continuing to work on the farm in recent weeks, for example by cutting hedges and ploughing the land for spring sowing, and he had been "shocked and upset" to receive the eviction notice from bailiffs.

But solicitors for the estate said they had expected Mr Copeland to leave the property of his own accord last Friday.

A spokeswoman said the farmer had been given several weeks to get ready to leave, and an adviser to Mr Copeland had informed the solicitors that the farmer had agreed to depart on the Friday and hand over the keys.

She said that now he had failed to leave, the eviction notice would take effect.

Updated: 09:02 Wednesday, March 19, 2003