Heartless looters target home of Coventry house fire victim who 'lost everything'

[dutchman]

Shelagh Williams has had to secure her property in Tile Hill from intruders



A woman who lost everything when her Coventry home of 40 years was largely destroyed by fire says she has had to padlock her home to keep out heartless looters. Shelagh Williams says her sense of despair and desperation has been exacerbated by the threat posed by intruders to her detached property in Tile Hill Lane.

"It's really distressing to think people might be taking things from my house," Shelagh told CoventryLive. "We've discovered that people have been going into the property and moving things about.

"My neighbour's son went round the other day to put some padlocks and chains on the doors and gates." Shelagh has been living in temporary accommodation in Willenhall since the blaze on January 13 which claimed the life of her beloved dog Eddie.

The 70-year-old, well-known for supporting countless charities in the city, has suffered panic attacks in the wake of the tragedy. Not even strong sleeping tablets have been able to settle her at night.

"The panic attacks are really frightening," she said. "I don't know what's going to happen to me, it's complete despair. Never in my life have I felt like this.

"It's like I'm on the ground and I can never get up. There was a cake sale today which is raising funds for my appeal. I was hoping to go, but I just feel so low."

A former sales and marketing professional, Shelagh said she was grateful to those who have donated clothes and other items and supported her fundraising bid. She is also indebted to the city council, for securing the privately-owned flat where she currently lives, but she can't help but feel cut off and lonely.

"The feeling of isolation here is really quite hard and quite depressing," she said. "Sometimes when I get upset I just need a hug. Normally I could go round to my neighbours, but I don't have that here.

"I'm so far away from my support network. I just wake up in the night screaming there's no one here."

Shelagh could not afford to insure her property. The city council is now assessing whether renovating the property is feasible from a structural perspective and viable from a commercial standpoint.

Shelagh still hasn't been back inside her home to evaluate what, if anything, can be salvaged. She hopes to move into a retirement home in the city when her tenancy in Willenhall expires in the first week of March.

Coventry City Council said it would not be commenting on Shelagh's situation at this stage. More than £4,300 has been raised by kind-hearted members of the public, some complete strangers to Shelagh, in a bid to get her back on her feet. The JustiGiving page can be found here.