Disabled gran stuck in hotel after flat fire says she would rather be in prison

SWNS

A disabled gran forced out of her flat by a fire has spent two years in a Travelodge and said she would "rather be in prison".  Karen Bishop, 51, had to leave her two-bedroom home in April, 2022, after a blaze on the floor above spread.  She decided to move in with her daughter Sarah Ward, 32, but, not wanting to be a "burden" she left after a few months to stay in a Travelodge.  Karen has been living off takeaways and meal deals as she only has a kettle to cook with and moving between hotels.  She has spent two Christmas' in the hotel and fears she will spend another one there as work on her flat is yet to start.

Transcript

00:00Why have you been living in the Norwich Travel Lodge?

00:04My neighbour set fire to his home about one o'clock in the morning.

00:10We had a bit of a commotion.

00:13I opened my front door to find my other neighbours running down saying

00:16quickly get out, he's set fire to his living room.

00:19Unfortunately a lot of water damage meant I could no longer live there

00:23so they had to find me other suitable accommodation.

00:26While looking for temporary accommodation for me to

00:29obviously move into, I've been staying here.

00:33I've been living in the Travel Lodge now well over a year.

00:37Obviously this Christmas will be my second Christmas in the Norwich Travel Lodge.

00:42The staff are lovely.

00:44I mean I can't fault them but these hotels aren't made to be lived in.

00:50Although very comfortable, it's not home.

00:55Living in the Travel Lodge, obviously you have the restaurant,

00:59you've got all the staff but the majority of the time you can't settle,

01:04you can't unpack, there's no way to actually unpack too.

01:08And then every two to three weeks you then have to move rooms

01:13so that they can clean the room.

01:16So you're never settled at all.

01:19I don't know at all how long I'm going to be here.

01:24I was hoping I'd have been back home by now but I've not been quite that lucky.

01:31The idea of being here for another Christmas,

01:36I was kind of hoping that wasn't going to be the case and stuck around.

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