THE mum who set up a static caravan and shipping container on her front lawn in Park South has hit back at criticism by calling her neighbours abusive and racist.

Lillie Goddard lived in a house on Loxley Walk in Park South with her two children until late 2019, when they moved into a three-bed static caravan because, she claims, the property had been declared unsafe for a young child to live in.

ORIGINAL STORY: Neighbours complain about caravan and shipping container on front lawn

READ MORE: Woman rented out property full of hazards

She then bought a shipping container to store their possessions and building materials inside. Now the house is being rented out to tenants so that she can pay for the cost of the caravan and container.

Lillie said: “I have told the neighbours my story but they do not listen, they get very abusive. They request that I just wave a magic wand and make money to resolve the situation quicker then my ability.

“They thought my relative who was living with us for a while was an illegal immigrant because he’s black, and they have called me a gypsy.

“This is a racist area where people have no empathy for a single mum in need and in poverty.

“Things have just escalated. It’s been one thing after another. They have yelled at me because of the caravan, they are causing me extra stress and harassment on top of everything else.”

Neighbours on Purley Avenue have been vocal in complaining about the unwelcome additions to their area and called the council claiming that what Lillie has done is illegal.

Swindon Borough Council has been approached for comment and is investigating Lillie’s claims and the neighbours’ concerns.

Lillie has been in and out of work but stayed unemployed through 2019 while anticipating that she would have to take time off anyway for undergoing and recovering from an operation.

While waiting for the operation, she she tried to renovate her home and improve the heating system but the pulled-up floorboards and piles of building materials left around the home because of this work proved to be too much of a hazard.

She bought the static caravan in July, moved in in October after fixing it up and bought the shipping container in December after taking out loans to pay for them.

Lillie added: “It was our only option. We could not afford to buy a new house. No planning permission was required for the caravan and the container is classed as a shed. It was the cheapest way to get everything we had out of the building.

“I’ve been recovering for a while but I’m healthy enough to work now. Once I start earning money again, I will be able to tidy everything up and build a fence to make the caravans and container less visible to neighbours.

“We are slowly sorting things out but it’s not been easy. I did the best I could do in the bad situation I was put into without my fault.”

Black mats were put down over the council-owned green space near their home while setting up the container and caravan in a failed attempt to avoid causing damage to the grass.

Neighbours claimed that the container is being made fit for habitation but this is not the case – it is purely for storage, Lillie said.

One nearby homeowner said that smoke from the wood stove used in the caravan drifted up to her back window but Lillie denied that the fumes and smell reach that far.

The “disgraceful mess” criticised by their neighbours is made up of insulation material that will soon be installed in the static caravan, wood for the stove, and children’s toys that were left outside for people to take but will now be recycled.