John Llewellyn: "I accept the electrics need doing"

The owner of Matthew House in St Mawgan, near Newquay, has said he will fight to keep his home open.

John Llewellyn claims the local council is trying to force them to close after it cut off the electricity supply to the building.

But Restormel Borough Council said it ordered the power be turned off because the wiring is dangerous.

If I have to hock myself to the neck, I'll do it John Llewellyn

Mr Llewellyn said he wants to fix the centre's wiring, but it will cost about �12,000.

Nineteen of the 22 residents at the centre, all recovering drug and alcohol addicts, have decided to stay on - despite being offered travel vouchers and money to move to alternative sites outside of Cornwall.

Mr Llewellyn has ordered generators to provide temporary power.

"I accept the electrics need doing," said Mr Llewellyn, Matthew House's owner.

"We have tried our hardest to find electricians.

"I've put right the majority of the real dangerous stuff, I simply asked for another extension."

But a spokesman for the council's Housing and Health Department, Councillor Roy Taylor, said health and safety guidelines must be enforced.

"The intention is to make the place safe," he said.

'Safety paramount'

"Electrical safety is paramount, you cannot continue to give someone extensions forever and a day.

"They have to show willing and do something in order to get the place back to what it should be."

Mr Llewellyn said that once he heard about the residents' pledge to stay he decided not to close down.

"It gave me the impetus to say 'Stuff you, we're staying'.

"And if I have to hock myself to the neck, I'll do it."