AN ELDERLY York resident claims she was forced out of her sheltered housing home by an anonymous vendetta over cats.

Min Locker paid £65 a week to live at Garth Court in Huntington until she finally left in May.

She says she was happy there, but did not realise until she moved in that cats were allowed to roam communal areas, including the lounge and kitchen.

Min is allergic to the animals, which meant that she could not take part in the regular domino sessions and coffee mornings held at Garth Court, as she was left sneezing and wheezing by the cat hair.

She made a complaint, but says nothing was done.

"I just couldn't take it any more so I complained. I took photographs of the cats in the communal areas for evidence, but nothing was done.

"It wasn't long after that the cards started to arrive."

'The cards arrived in a flurry last Christmas.

They were all anonymous, all featured pictures of cats and carried messages such as "have a purr-fect Christmas from the cats", "from your feline friends" and "cats are great, purr".

Min says they left her distressed and upset, and she was too nervous to approach the Evening Press about it until she had moved out.

She is now settled in Langley House, Heworth, York.

But she said: "It was a vendetta. To be treated like that and nothing be done about it is disgraceful."

However, Brian Clarke, Ryedale Housing Director, said Min's complaint was dealt with and other residents' views were sought on the cat issue.

The majority wanted them to stay, he said.

"The issue was not ignored - it came before our management board, and we do realise some people can get a reaction to cats.

"They can, however, be therapeutic in some ways."

He added that Ryedale Housing had known nothing about Min receiving offensive cards until just before she left its care.

Updated: 11:44 Thursday, July 05, 2001