TWO council tenants are still facing a battle to clear their name despite winning an appeal to stay in their home.

Gemma Fisher, 31, and Nikki Watson, 33, had been facing the prospect of being kicked out of their council house after they were convicted of getting their property through deception.

Selby District Council prosecuted Fisher and Watson for allegedly failing to reveal they had rent arrears from a previous property when they applied to the council for a home.

After hearing witnesses from both sides, York magistrates convicted the two of fraud and the council started civil proceedings to evict them from their council house in West Acres, Byram.

But the couple appealed to York Crown Court, where Recorder Jamie Hill QC, sitting with two magistrates, decided they may not have deliberately left details of their previous tenancy off their housing application that resulted in them getting the tenancy.

Giving the bench’s decision, the Recorder said they took the view that the couple may have made a mistake.

Both were cleared of the conviction, but Selby District Council said the case is still ongoing.

A spokesman for the authority said: “We still having outstanding matters regarding this case.”