Homeless grandmother who's spent 19 months living in Premier Inn doesn't see a future outside hotel

  • ITV News meets Annette Wilkinson, who has been living in a Premier Inn for over a year

It's been 19 months since Annette Wilkinson checked into Bude's Premier Inn after a relationship breakdown.

Every day that passes she says she says she is losing faith.

"I really didn't see any light at the end of the tunnel because I just can't even imagine me being in somewhere, because it's been so long and my mental health is just in bits," she said.

The grandmother moved to the North Cornwall town six years ago to be closer to family.

But, having now spent more than a year and a half in emergency accommodation, her health is now deteriorating, her beloved cats are living in foster care, and she says she is "in tears all the time".

She said: "My health has got a lot worse since I've been in the hotel and I'm now type two diabetic, which I wasn't before. I've also got heart problems, I have fibromyalgia, anxiety and depression and it is just getting worse and worse."

She told ITV News she cannot get a health visitor to give her a care plan while she is living in a hotel room.

Annette says she cannot fault the hotel staff but a hotel is no place to call home. Credit: ITV News

Living in a hotel may at first sound like a luxury, but the reality means no facilities for home cooked food or a place to clean clothing.

Annette cannot praise the care of all the staff enough saying they have been "absolutely fantastic" and "all go above and beyond" to support her - with one worker, Joseph, even hosting Annette at his family Christmas.

Annette, 50, regularly works in the RSPCA shop on Bude's high street. Her colleague Sally Swaker says they can all see the toll this life is taking on her.

Sally said: "She looks drained. She comes in and she tries to put on a brave face, but you know that she's really upset and battling against it. but she knows we're all here to help if we can. But you can't do much about it really can you?"

Annette says she's heartbroken her four cats can no longer be fostered and will likely be rehomed. Credit: Annette Wilkinson

Adding further upset Annette now looks set to lose her four cats who have been cared for by a foster charity.

"I got a formal letter from them a couple of days ago that states I've got four weeks notice now. I have have to collect them within four weeks and if I don't I'm going to lose them.

"My cats are the longest they've ever had any animal. It's not fair on them being in foster care and they need the space."

A spokesperson for Cornwall Housing told ITV News the organisation "sympathises with the position that some residents are finding themselves" as the county continues to face extreme housing pressure.

The spokesperson said it is "committed to proving support" however "there is a high demand for accommodation, including our own housing stock, properties that we rent, and other accommodation, especially when a household requests housing a specific area".

Cornwall Council has a duty to provide temporary accommodation to certain households and says it regularly reviews Personalised Housing Plans and helps residents bid for properties on its Homechoice social housing website.

But says the broader picture of housing availability in Cornwall is bleak.

A spokesperson said: "In the past four years, the number of households in need of emergency accommodation has increased by around 240% to 851, while the number of households on our social housing register currently stands at over 20,000."