Bailiffs ransack wrong home

Bailifs 'repossessed' the wrong home, changing the locks and disconnecting the gas, water and electricity. Leanne Faulkner, 30, returned to her Wythenshawe apartment and discovered some of her belongings packed into cases and her firdge and freezer had been emptied.

The former air stewardess also found a large notice on the door saying that she had seven days to remove her possessions. Leanne admitted she had been in arrears with her mortgage but said a deal had been struck with GE which would see her sell the apartment.

She added: "I was struggling financially due to number of reasons but I'd sorted that out with GE long before this happened." It is understood that there had been a repossession order on the flat, but that it should have been withdrawn and the bailiffs called off.



Her mortgage company GE Money has now admitted that they sent the bailiffs in by mistake and blamed it on an 'administrative error'. Leanne said: "When I eventually got in I couldn't believe it. There was a big sign on my door saying my home had been repossessed and I had seven days to get all my possessions out.

"My post box had been taped up and so had my taps. The electricity and water had also been turned off." Leanne added: "They'd even taken food out of the fridge and freezer. They'd changed the locks on the windows and just left them open so anyone could get in. There were muddy footprints everywhere. I was stunned. It was as if the place had been ransacked."

Leanne was left to fork out over £300 to get her utilities back in working order and to change the locks back again. A spokesman from GE Money said: "Bailiffs were regretfully instructed to take possession of an incorrect property, resulting in significant inconvenience to Miss Faulkner."