Campaigner who fought housing evictions to stand in mayoral race

A campaigner who fought to stop families being evicted from a housing estate is to stand in the next election for Mayor of London.

Lindsey Garrett, a tenant on the New Era estate in Hackney, will run as an independent candidate in 2016.

She led residents in a successful battle against an American property company which bought the 90 flats in 2014.

Comedian Russell Brand joined the campaign amid fears tenants would be forced out by massive rent increases.

The residents claimed victory when the estate's owners agreed a sale to a charitable housing association.

Garrett, a single mother, faces a near-impossible challenge to beat candidates from the main political parties.

Former civil servant Siobhan Benita and Ram Gidoomal of the Christian People's Alliance both stood as independents in previous mayoral elections but failed to make it to the second round.

In the first ever election in 2000, the winner was ex-Labour MP Ken Livingstone who stood as an independent after a row with his party.