A FAMILY of seven who were evicted from their houseboat five years ago, are today taking their campaign to the Prime Minister.

Oct 28 2008 by Catherine Mary Evans, South Wales Echo

A FAMILY of seven who were evicted from their houseboat five years ago, are today taking their campaign to the Prime Minister.

Vince Shalom, 44, his wife Marie Louise, 41, and their five daughters, aged between eight and 16, are seeking compensation after their houseboat The Picton was taken from its mooring in Penarth Marina in 2003.

Marina owners Crest Nicholson claimed the vessel was uninsured and in breach of contract.

But the Shaloms – who are the subject of an injunction preventing them from visiting the picturesque marina – are refusing to give up their fight, and the whole family will be handing in a petition outlining their case to 10 Downing Street this afternoon.

Mr Shalom said: “It was a way of life for us on the houseboat and we are seeking compensation by whatever means available. We would like to be vindicated that we did absolutely nothing wrong.”

Following their eviction from the houseboat, the family lived with Mrs Shalom’s parents in Cardiff. Two years ago, they moved into their current rented home in Dinas Powys.

“Life goes on but we keep campaigning to teach the girls not to be bullied and not let other people’s behaviour make them act badly,” said Mrs Shalom, a primary school teacher.

“When we were evicted, we lost all our possessions – clothing, photographs of the girls, even our seven goldfish. We weren’t allowed to take anything.”

She wept as she spoke of how precious photographs of her son Joshua, who died at the age of two, had been lost forever.

The couple’s daughter Rebekah, nine, said: “What I miss most about living on the houseboat is feeling free.”

At the time of the family’s eviction, a spokesman for Crest Nicholson said: “The removal of the MV Picton by the High Court Sheriff is the final stage of a lengthy legal process resolving the issue of trespass by the vessel’s owners.

“I would stress that our recourse to legal action was not taken lightly, and not without many months of discussion, meetings and correspondence with the owners to resolve the issue.”

catherinemary.evans@mediawales.co.uk