[Scarlett.]

Coronation Street star Sue Nicholls is evicting a pensioner from a flat she owns as he lies bedridden in hospital recovering from MRSA.

The actress, who plays glamorous grandmother Audrey Roberts in the soap, started legal proceedings against retired West End theatre manager Kelvin Allen when he fell into a coma after contracting the superbug.

Her lawyers later sent a bailiff to the hospital to issue a court summons on the 69-year-old, her tenant for 26 years, soon after he regained consciousness.

Actress Sue Nicholls, who plays Audrey Roberts, wants to Kelvin Allen who is recovering from a coma caused by MRSA
Off my street: Actress Sue Nicholls, who plays Audrey Roberts, wants to Kelvin Allen who is recovering from a coma caused by MRSA

The case has been lodged at the London county court, where a brief hearing was held in private yesterday.

Mr Allen, who met the Queen several times while organising the Royal Variety Performance show, is expected to be homeless when he leaves hospital.

Friends fear he will also be confined to a wheelchair for life after surgeons at Worthing Hospital, West Sussex, removed part of his right hip where MRSA had taken hold.

Mr Allen has lived in the £300,000 one bedroom basement flat in Pimlico, Central London, since 1982. He was paying £1,020 a month in rent out of his pension from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful company.

He broke his hip in June and later got MRSA, falling into a two-month coma.

In August Sue, Judith and Beverley Nicholls, who jointly own the block of flats Mr Allen lives in, started the legal action. Under the terms of the lease they only had to give him one month's notice to leave.

Mr Allen's only relative is his 96-year-old mother who lives in a care home in Norfolk.

Theatre producer Anthony Field, who has power of attorney over Mr Allen's affairs, said: 'This has been extremely distressing for him. He still cannot leave his bed and is concerned about what will happen when he leaves hospital and if he will have anywhere to live.'

Sue Nicholls, 65, the daughter of the late Tory MP Lord Harmar-Nicholls, has been in Coronation Street since 1979. She started her soap career in 1964 as Marilyn Gates in Crossroads.

She starred as Joan Greengross in The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin and as Nadia Popov, the sneezing spook in Rentaghost.

In 2001 she said she had been fighting depression for 20 years.

Judith Nicholls, who lives above Mr Allen's flat, said in a court statement: 'My decision to serve notice was made due to my recent ill health so that other family members may occupy the premises.

'It has always been the intention of the claimants to return the building to a family home once settlement of other family matters had been completed.'

Earlier this year, Corrie character "Tony Gordon" evicted pensioner "Jed Stone" from his house while he was in hospital.


Daily Mail


I hope she goes homeless one day, see how she likes it

[Locke.]

Hate her and her character.

Kill her off

[Scarlett.]

I agree