Houseboat owner smashes up his home to avoid bailiffs throwing him out

A houseboat owner tried to wreck his £200,000 floating home rather than let it fall into the hands of bailiffs.



Former local radio presenter Chris Mew took a sledgehammer to the converted World War II landing craft just hours before he was due to be evicted. The 69-year-old smashed the wooden interior fittings he had made himself, shattered windows and reduced wooden panelling in the bathroom to splinters.

‘We are walking away with nothing. Absolutely nothing,’ said Mr Mew, who has lived on the craft – called Emily – for 20 years. The row started in 2007 when houseboat owners were ordered to leave Bembridge Harbour, on the Isle of Wight, by new mooring owners Tristmire Ltd.



After a last-ditch legal attempt to stay failed in July, Mr Mew said he would rather wreck Emily than see it go to the Surrey-based company. ‘It is so painful to take a sledgehammer and destroy everything we have worked so hard for but I would rather do that than let these people have it,’ he said. Tristmire was unavailable to comment.