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WARM weather may finally have arrived, but one York father told today how his family can't get on their bikes or bring out the barbecue - because they were seized by mistake during a property re-possession.

Alastair Hamilton said the bikes, children's seats, barbecue and garden furniture were kept in a storage shed used by both his family and the owners of a ground floor flat situated below his home in Burton Stone Lane.

He said that when the flat was repossessed some months ago, the items had been removed by a company called Countrywide Repossessions from the shed as well as those belonging to the flat owner.

He said that because it was winter and he had no need of the bikes or barbecue, he was unaware for a while what had happened.

He only discovered the truth when a new person moved in and told him the shed was empty.

"We said we'd better sort out our stuff in the shed and she said: What stuff? The shed's completely empty'."

"They took two adult bicycles, two child's seats, two helmets and so on, a barbecue, garden seats."

Mr Hamilton, a father of two young children, said that he had made extensive efforts to recover the property but this had so far been in vain, and he was becoming frustrated at the delays.

"It's been sunny but so far we've not been able to get out on the bikes.

"We've missed one Bank Holiday weekend already."

Mr Hamilton said he estimated that the property was worth about £1,500.

Countrywide Repossessions was unavailable for comment, but a spokeswoman for Northern Rock said that the company had handled the repossession of the property on its behalf.

She said: "We are aware of this case and are looking into the issues raised by the individual." She added that she was unable to comment further at this stage.

5:21pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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