A DISABLED veteran who parks a tank, which he uses for charity work, outside his home has said this has led to his eviction.

Steve Cleator, who uses his collection of 13 tanks to help out good causes, has previously received backlash from neighbours for parking one of the vehicles, which is the ‘the size of a van’, outside his home in Saxon Heights at Augusta Park.

Now, after being served a Section 21 eviction notice, the 40-year-old ex-tank commander believes his vehicle is to blame.

He said: “I’ve never missed a payment on rent, my house has always been clean and tidy. I’ve never breached tenancy and this is the annoying thing.

“The only problem I’ve had is the tank, and it turns out I’m allowed to have it there. It’s road registered, it’s legal, there’s nothing in the tennant’s agreement that says it isn’t.

“I’m not going to slate Connells too much because they have sorted me out, they’ve got me straight into another house.

“I think Taylor Wimpey [the Augusta Park developer] has been on his [the landlord’s] case and he thought ‘sod it’.

“I have been accused of damaging the roadways and curb areas around site, this accusation is unfounded and proven to be untrue. I spoke with the site surveyor who came round to inspect the damage who told me, that ‘there was no way my vehicle would have been the cause and that the damage extended to the entire site’, as there are areas of which my vehicle has never gained access to and quite frankly can’t gain access to as the damage was also reported behind the gated building area, thus proving that I could not have been responsible for it.

“I am a disabled man who’s actually classed in society as a vulnerable person, I have taken every reasonable step required to live in peace and quiet within the house with my family, this whole tenancy has caused me and more importantly my son additional stress.

“During my time the staff at the office [Connells] have been lovely but sadly I feel I have been let down further up the food chain. I pay £1,100 pcm and Connells are paid out of that amount to ensure I am treated correctly. Sadly on this occasion I feel this has all been one-sided.“

Mr Cleator’s landlord is based overseas and could not be reached for comment.

However a spokesperson from Connells said: “As far as from our side, the landlord’s decision to serve a Section 21 and increase the rent was nothing to do with the tank.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said: “We are sorry to hear of the situation regarding the resident at our Saxon Heights development in Andover.

“We have had no contact with the landlord regarding this matter but hope it can be resolved as amicably as possible.”