A WOMAN could be evicted from her home - because her pet chicken is too noisy.

Janet Slater has been told she will have to go unless she gets rid of Squeak, after neighbours complained. Janet, 54, has been told she is breaking her tenancy agreement by having livestock in her bungalow in Eccles.

But the mum, who has been wheelchair bound with osteoarthritis for three years, said Squeak is part of the family - not livestock.

Janet said: "I can't get out a lot, so Squeak keeps me company. I talk to her and I love her dearly.

"My daughter and I have had her for three years and there was no problem in our last house.

"Squeak is not livestock because she isn't kept for food or profit. She's a pet and I can't believe we might lose our home over such a storm in a teacup."

Janet and 20-year-old daughter Amelia moved into the bungalow from a council house in Salford.

They had to wait 18 months for a property to become available that was suitable for wheelchair use.

Squeak

Three-year-old Squeak moved with them to continue her free-range life.

But now almost a year later the family has been told by the Irwell Valley Housing Association that Squeak has to be re-housed.

Janet said: "They told me someone had complained about Squeak because they were worried about bird flu.

"It's ridiculous. Squeak is free-range and doesn't pose a threat to anyone.

"We've nowhere else to go. It is just so absurd that the association are running round like headless chickens over this."

A spokesman for the housing association, which handles 6,000 properties across Greater Manchester, said they had given Janet 28 days to re-home the chicken several months ago, but the request had been ignored.

The spokesman said: "Following complaints from her neighbours that the chicken, which is housed in the bedroom of her property, was causing a noise disturbance, we asked Miss Slater to re-locate the chicken to which she agreed.

"We have been extremely patient, offering Miss Slater a wide range of support from our neighbourhood management team."

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CLICK on the gallery above to see more pictures of Janet and Squeak.