"I feel numb and sick," Darren Marshall told the BBC just minutes after bailiffs evicted him and his brother from the house they had called home for more than half a century.

The 55-year-old had lived in the housing association property, on Springfield Avenue, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, since 1970 when he was just two months old.

Earlier this year, social housing provider Havebury Homes told Darren and his 67-year-old brother Steven that it wanted the property back and they would need to leave.

On Thursday morning the two brothers were forced to pack up their belongings and say goodbye after 55 years.

"All day yesterday I was in tears, it's just hard to quantify what's going on," said Darren over the sound of drilling as workers changed the locks to the property's front doors.

"We've literally just been turfed out of our family homes and it just seems so heartless - it's pretty tough and really difficult at the moment.

"I think it is really going to hit me later on but I'm dreading tonight, not being at home, not being here to be able to sleep and not able to feel safe," he added.

As well as bailiffs, the eviction was attended by workers and representatives from Havebury Homes and West Suffolk Council.

"It's just the two of us, and we've always been rent payers, we've always done the right thing, always been peaceful and they've taken all of that away now," he added.

"You've got to live hoping something good will happen and we were hoping they might give us another week or two to sort everything out properly.

"But nothing's happened and I'm in bits and I know I'm going to get worse – it is going to be really hard for me to get to sleep, so thanks a lot, Havebury Homes."

Darren was also concerned about his brother, who he said was vulnerable and needed looking after, as he was separated from him following the eviction.

According to council workers present at the eviction, Steven was taken to temporary accommodation in the area, but they did not tell Darren where.

"I still don't know where Steven's going to go - he has no idea what his address is or where in the town he's going to be," said Darren.

"I just don't know how my brother's going to react to being on his own because I've been looking after him all these years."

Due to having what the council deemed to be sufficient savings, Darren, was reportedly not offered temporary accommodation.

"Apparently they don't need to help me, so I'm now effectively homeless," said Darren, who will spend the next few days staying with a friend.

The brothers' parents moved them, as well as their other brother, into the house in 1970.

After their dad died from cancer in 2017, the tenancy agreement was passed to their mum – something which can be done only once under succession laws.

When she died in 2023, Havebury Homes allowed the brothers to remain at the property without a formal tenancy agreement in place.

But in March the brothers were taken to court over the repossession of the house, with the judge ruling in favour of Havebury.

"My parents would be turning in their grave, I think they'd be horrified, but I can only imagine how they'd feel if it was happening to them," said Darren.

"I think they'd be distraught because it is just terrible and just feels awful – it's a terrible act."

Havebury Homes would not tell the BBC why it had decided to evict the brothers from the home but said it would "always work with residents to help them explore an alternative housing option".

"As a social landlord, we have a responsibility to make sure our homes are allocated fairly and in line with our allocations policy," a spokesperson said.

"This helps ensure that our homes are available to those with the greatest housing need."

Richard O'Driscoll, West Suffolk Council's cabinet member for housing, said the authority would try to support any tenants facing eviction.

"We'd look to work with the landlord and people living in the property to see if [the situation] could be overcome [so they could] maintain the tenancy," he said.

"If that is neither possible or appropriate we would either support the tenant through a period of homelessness such as through temporary accommodation or advise them if private rent housing is more suitable to their means, and assist them with the latter if this is their choice.

"As a rule, while we advise members of a household on their options, we do not force any household to separate."

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