A WOMAN who fears some of her 70 beloved birds will need to be culled if she is evicted from her allotment has been given an 11th hour stay of execution.

Ann Atkinson had been ordered to leave East End Allotments, in Ferryhill, this weekend following a dispute with the association that runs the site.

Mrs Atkinson got the plot in March 2016 to rear hens and eventually grow vegetables for husband Gary and their six children.

But last summer she was shocked to hear her tenancy was in jeopardy.

East End Allotment Association, which manages the Ferryhill Town Council-owned site, accused the couple of breaking site rules including tampering with the water supply.

There was also a dispute over a building the couple wanted to put on the plot.

A series of meetings were held to discuss the claims, at which Mr Atkinson represented his wife.

He said: “I went away and disproved them all but they still decided to evict us.

“I think this is a lot to do with me challenging the chairman and cronyism.”

Mrs Atkinson said: “I’m absolutely devastated, if I’m evicted from here I cannot get an allotment anywhere. Unfortunately all these birds are going to have to go and I don’t know where they will do, some may even have to be culled.”

Bernie Lamb, chairman of East End Allotment Association, said the couple were given ‘umpteen opportunities and meetings’ to rectify the complaints against them but at a final eviction meeting ten of 12 committee members voted to evict, the other two wanted them to receive a severe warning.

He said: “They broke into the water system without permission and damaged the concrete box to access a tap from their own allotment, we found that very serious.

“Since the association took over ten or 11 years ago rules have been applied fairly."

He said, in the event of birds remaining onsite post-eviction, the RSPCA would be contacted and the birds well looked after.

The couple called on Ferryhill Town Council to intervene but complained that their case was not treated fairly impartially. They said they would seek a court injunction against the council and allotment association should they press ahead with the eviction, which could ultimately cost the public purse.

Last night it appeared that the situation could yet be resolved.

A spokesman for Ferryhill Town Council said: “The eviction will be placed on hold and an independent person appointed to review the situation and bring it to a satisfactory and fair conclusion.”