A WIDOW who lost her husband and her home in a ‘year of hell’ has criticised landlords for ‘inhumane’ treatment after being forced to live amid a building site.

Pam Donovan is among elderly tenants of Radipole Court sheltered housing scheme in Weymouth who have had to leave their homes so the site can be redeveloped.

It is part of a borough-wide improvement programme by Synergy Housing to replace ageing accommodation and create new homes.

But uncertainty about the future, the stress of finding somewhere else to live and leaving the close-knit community of Radipole Court affected many tenants Mrs Donovan claimed, including her husband Michael who died suddenly last year aged 75.

A letter informing her the tenancy had ended arrived on the day of his funeral.

Mrs Donovan has yet to be found a suitable new flat and has been given temporary accommodation in the last remaining block at Radipole Court while the site around her is flattened.

Mrs Donovan, one of a handful of tenants left on the Fernhill Avenue site, claims the accommodation is unsuitable as diggers work throughout the day, sometimes coming just yards from her window.

“Not only have I had to put up with the dust and the noise, I have had to witness the home I shared with my husband for 11 happy years and the community we lived in razed to the ground,” she said.

Mrs Donovan, 69, added: “Not one of my neighbours wanted to move out.

“It was a lovely spot with trees, and there was a social club for residents. We should have spent our last days there.

“Residents were made ill by the thought of having to leave and some have since died.

“It’s inhumane how we’ve been treated.”

Mrs Donavan added: “I’ve been through a year of hell with Michael dying and trying to find a new home.

“He had been a fit and healthy man but his blood pressure was up with the stress.

“Then he died suddenly after having an aneurysm.

“I’ve been put in another flat on site but all around us has been demolished.

“There are other people living here who are not well.

“It’s totally unsuitable.

“It’s not fair to keep elderly people in these conditions.”