THE couple who found a new home in York after fleeing from Glasgow were today packing their bags and moving on again.

James McCartney, 46, and his wife, Eileen, 17, have left their temporary accommodation in York, after receiving an eviction notice from the City of York Council to be out by yesterday.

They hit the headlines when they left Glasgow saying they were in fear of their lives after their wedding.

Mr McCartney said they suffered repeated abuse and threats from people who branded him a pervert and paedophile.

Today they were on their way back to Glasgow, to take up their case with the council and police there, and from there said they would be going on to an as-yet-undisclosed location in the south of England tomorrow.

Mr McCartney said they felt very bitter towards the City of York Council who had not given them permanent accommodation to move into straight away because they were not assessed to have a priority need.

He said they had lost all their furniture, which he estimated was worth £2,700, because they could not afford to take it back to Scotland and had been turned down for an emergency loan for van hire from the DSS. He said they had had to leave it outside and it had been ruined.

Mr McCartney has also written to Tony Blair about the DSS loan and about the couple's difficulties in getting permanent accommodation in York.

He said he had been due to start a bus driver training course with First York this week.

"York people have been fabulous, we would have been quite happy to stay here," he said.

"I can't imagine going to a better place. We were on a housing waiting list but we had nowhere to go in between."

A spokesman for the City of York Council said the authority was not uncaring and had dealt with the couple's application under the law.

The council had offered the couple immediate emergency temporary accommodation when they arrived in York and had then assessed them for permanent accommodation.

"In this case it was determined the couple were not in priority need,

although we have offered them advice on finding appropriate accommodation in the private rented sector and on claiming any benefits they may be entitled

to," he said.

PICTURE: ANOTHER SUITCASE: James McCartney and his young wife, Elaine, who have been evicted from their flat in Ordnance Lane, Fulford, by City of York Council

Picture: Steven Bradshaw