Three men who have helped control each other's mental illnesses have been forced from their home by a torrent of abuse.
The men, who suffer paranoid schizophrenia, manic depression and are hyper-active, will have to cope alone as they can only be rehoused separately.
The trio, who have been living together in a bedsit in Rydene Place, Vange, monitor each other's medication and say they have become like a family.
For Peter Taylor, 38, who has suicidal tendencies, the support of his friends has kept him out of hospital for four-and-a-half months - the longest time he has been out in 15 years. They were driven from their last home by abuse and now they have been sent death threats, had burning paper put through their letterbox and bricks thrown through windows.
A Basildon Council spokesman said: "We are doing everything we can to help. The circumstances are complex and difficult."
Published Tuesday, January 7, 2003
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article