LIVERPOOL tenants are “gearing for war” against bailiffs after united action prevented the eviction of a local woman suffering from cancer.

Around 40 Liverpool residents belonging to the tenants’ union Acorn turned out in a show of solidarity to the woman, who remains anonymous, on Thursday evening after an emergency court hearing ruled that she cannot be evicted for another 42 days.

The woman, who lives on Molyneux Road in the Kensington area of Liverpool, was to be evicted by the property investment group Mistoria, which own her residence.

It is thought that the woman, who has stomach cancer, is being evicted so that Mistoria can convert her house into luxury student accommodation in Kensington, which is one of the poorest districts in the country.

Locals on the ground told the Star that because woman has cancer she is perceived to be an “undesirable tenant” by the company, which could make more money out of students. Mistoria denies this and says: “We do not discriminate against any of our tenants.”

But the Star was told that Mistoria is notorious across Liverpool for buying and renovating property to convert it into student accommodation without proper consultation with or consideration for the people living there.

The woman had moved to this residence several years ago and complained that she didn’t have the energy to do it again due to the exhaustion of living with stomach cancer.

Last week, Mistoria reportedly briefed locals that the woman was being evicted for having not paid her rent — a claim proven untrue by documents held by the woman and released by Acorn on social media.

It is also understood that the woman had not slept in “days” due to the pressure of being potentially evicted.

In response to this, residents with Acorn knocked on doors across the area and leafleted to encourage resistance to the eviction.

An emergency court hearing ruled in her favour, and when the woman returned from court to see the tenants’ protest outside of her house, witnesses tell the Star that she “burst out crying.”

Tenants told the Star that the victory is a “temporary” one, and a “stay of execution” for the woman, who risks being moved into a homeless hostel or living on the streets if she is evicted.

A Liverpool resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “We’re over the moon with that, but we’re definitely on guard against them.

“I wouldn’t like going around here if I was them, if they come for us then we’ll be going to war with them. We’re not going to let her walk alone.”

Fellow Liverpool resident and Acorn member Tom Lavin said: “The law is so skewed in favour of the private landlord that tenants only really have power when we work together.

“Just like in a trade union, a tenants’ union is only as strong as its members are.

“By coming out in numbers we’ve put the landlords of Liverpool on notice that the days of bullying tenants without any consequences whatsoever are coming to an end.”

Mistoria says that it served the correct notices in accordance with the wishes of the landlord and has been “in frequent communication” with the tenant, and that the move was partly for her welfare, as it said she struggled with the stairs.