A man who was evicted from his council house after nearly six decades has criticised the authorities for their “heavy-handed” approach.

Alan Laney had lived in the house in Worcester Crescent, Mill Hill since he was born in 1962 – but was told he would have to move out after his mother died four years ago.

She had inherited the house when his father passed away, and Mr Laney continued to live there with his two brothers.

But while council-owned Barnet Homes was within its rights to evict the brothers – as by law, council tenancies can only be inherited once – Mr Laney criticised its handling of the matter.

He said: “It is unfair. The house had a walk-in shower put in for my mother, and it benefited me as well. I’ve had two back surgeries and can’t get in and out of the bath.

“They offered me a property that was totally unsuitable. It needed so much work. It didn’t have a walk-in shower.

“They also offered a two-bed property, but there are three of us. They said two of us can share. We are grown-up men.

“It was in Cricklewood, opposite Brent Cross – quite a run-down area.

“I can’t sleep. I just walk around. They could have found somewhere more suitable.

“We have nowhere to go. They are getting very heavy-handed.”

Mr Laney added that his brothers also suffered from medical problems and are unable to work.

He said he is now living in his car, while one of his brothers is in a Travelodge and the other is staying with a relative.

Mr Laney is still looking for a home but says many landlords do not accept people who are claiming benefits.

A spokesperson for Barnet Homes said: “As a social landlord we always want to make sure people find homes that are suitable for their housing needs.

“As is the case in London generally, there is a huge demand for larger, family-sized homes in Barnet which far outweighs the supply of this type of home.

“The four-bedroom property that the Laneys were living in was assessed as no longer being suitable for their needs as there are only three of them in the household.

“We have therefore made every effort to work with them to find a suitable alternative and subsequently offered them a three-bedroom, family-sized home in Barnet, which they refused.

“We are currently investigating how we can help the Laney household with their housing issues further and have offered them temporary accommodation in the meantime.”