A 70-year-old woman has been left sofa surfing while battling cancer after being hit with an eviction notice by her landlord.

Julie White had lived in her flat in Ramuz Drive, Westcliff, for four years before she was told to leave in February as the home was being sold.

The mum, who also cares for her autistic daughter, has been forced to move to Basildon and stay with a friend – all while undergoing treatment for lung cancer.

Southend-based Pace Properties, which managed the home on behalf of the landlord, has insisted the eviction was carried out lawfully.

Ms White was hit with a Section 21 notice, commonly as a “no-fault eviction” and indicates she had done nothing wrong as tenant.

Ms White said: “I’m 70 and sofa-surfing, I am staying with a friend, but I cannot live like this.

“I don’t have a bedroom, I am living out a suitcase and everything is in a Safestore, I feel like everything has been robbed from me.

“It is making me ill, I cannot sleep, and it has become so bad recently that I can’t eat, I have been left so frustrated by our situation.”

This comes as recent data has revealed that 44 no-fault evictions were made in 2022 in Southend with national figures doubling from 4,026 to 8,048 between 2022 and 2023.

Ms White added that her last home was “perfect”, with a garden which she spent a great deal of time improving and caring for.

She added: “I made the garden of that house lovely, it really mattered to me and it has been depressing compared with how I live now, it was perfect and amazing.

“I have to rely on other people all the time, I have scans coming in May to further look at my cancer as well, which is making everything so much harder.

“All I want is for Emmie to be able to live near me, I am her full-time carer and I cannot get to her easily.

Martin Ransom, head of property at Pace said: “our client engaged the services of a solicitor to carry out a lawful eviction.”