A pensioner who is locked in a legal battle with a council was taken to hospital after collapsing in court.
John “Husky” Petch is said to have been found collapsed in the toilets of Teesside County Court after learning that Redcar and Cleveland Council planned to go ahead with selling off his belongings.
The 66-year-old was evicted from the council-owned Westfield Buildings, just off The Green in Dormanstown, in November last year following a two-year battle.
The retired steelworker had had the use of the buildings for the last 15 years and used the site to store his collection of old farm machinery.
As a result, the pensioner is now attempting to overturn an injunction issued in 1999 banning him from storing anything in the garden of his home, also in Dormanstown, as he now has no where to move his large collection to.
“At the hearing, the council mentioned they wanted to go ahead with selling off his machinery regardless of the injunction,” said Steve Turner, who has been campaigning alongside Husky.
“Husky was beside himself and went off to the bathroom where he collapsed - thinking he was having a heart attack.
“An ambulance was called and was blue-lighted up to James Cook.
“Luckily he is OK. Doctors said the stress of the situation had got to him and that’s why he had collapsed.”
“Husky is in a Catch-22 as the council are saying he has to move his collection but he has no where to move it to,” added Steve.
“It has been stressful for him.”
Peter Reimann/The Gazette 
'Husky' Petch is evicted from his building in Dormanstown
The hearing on Tuesday was also faced with another situation after Husky’s legal advisor was arrested the night before on suspicion of attempted burglary when he went to look around the compound to help the case.
As a result, he missed the start of the hearing as he was still in custody.
“He wanted to look around the depot because he had never seen it before,” said Steve.
“But the security guard called the police and he was arrested.”
Cleveland Police confirmed an arrest had been made and that the 34-year-old was later released without charge.
A council spokesman has also confirmed that the legal action will continue.
A spokesman for the authority has reportedly said: “Mr Petch has previously been served with notice requiring him to remove his belongings from the premises and the adjournment doesn’t affect that position.”
The hearing was adjourned until March 23.
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