NORTH Ayrshire Council evicted 57 people from their properties last year, it has been revealed.

At last week’s meeting of the the full council, Independent Councillor Donald L Reid asked how many families had been evicted from North Ayrshire Council properties during the calendar for 2017.

The Kilbirnie and Beith member was told that 57 evictions were carried out throughout the year.

Councillor Jim Montgomerie, Cabinet Member for Place, said: “The council only evicts tenants as a last resort when all other avenues to support tenants have been exhausted.

“Unfortunately eviction is unavoidable in some instances such as where tenants continually refuse to make arrangements to pay their rent, engage in continuous or serious anti-social behaviour or seriously or continually breach tenancy agreements.”

The vast majority of those who were evicted in 2017 were done so because of unpaid rent with the council saying that they have one of the lowest rates for evictions in the country.

Cllr Montgomerie added: “The approach taken by the council to support tenants to pay their rent and manage their tenancy in a responsible way enables the council to have one of the lowest eviction rates in Scotland.

“In the calendar year 2017, 57 evictions took place, of which 51 were for rent arrears, six for anti-social behaviour and one for breach of tenancy.”