A Garston dog owner has been forced into homelessness after the council failed to find suitable accomodation that would take his pet - and even refused his request to help pay for a tent pitch.

Steve McMahon, 47, will be evicted tomorrow after ten years of living in his Third Avenue home.

But Watford Borough Council have been unable to rehouse the former British Gas engineer and his five-year-old staffie Lionel because they do not have any one-bedroom homes that will accomodate dogs.

The authority was considering Steve’s request to pay for a pitch in North Hill Farm Camping in Chorleywood that would have taken the pair at £10 a night - but stated outright they would not pay the additional £2.50 for an electricity hook-up.

He had hoped living in the campsite would at least keep him off the streets.

But the council has now told him the tent was unsuitable.

Steve, who has arranged to house sit for a friend in Harrow for a fortnight, said:  "At least we will be warm and dry for a couple of weeks. But even if this hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have gone anywhere without the beast.

"But I don’t know what will happen after. I had asked the council to pay for a pitch at the campsite in Chorleywood.

"Now I don't know what will happen.

"This situation seems to have exposed the fact that these people are not doing their job."

Steve's housing advice officer has said there is a hotel that would accomoate Steve and Lionel, but was not sure when a room would become available.

But Steve said he was given no indication of where the hotel is or how long he would have to wait for a room.

He said: "The council has told me they have found a hotel that will take dogs - but they don’t know when a room will become available. I don’t feel they have been very forthcoming with any particular details about it, I’ve no idea where it is - if it’s in Watford or even Hertfordshire.

"This increasing worry is affecting my health. The changes and uncertainty are not helpful for my condition. I’ll have to change doctor. It’s not like I have just rented this place - I’ve lived here for ten years."

Steve, who was injured in an industrial accident, got Lionel from a rescue home in 2012.

Walking the Lionel three times a day has become his physiotherapy and his only constant in life.

A petition has been handed to Elected Mayor of Watford Dorothy Thornhill by more than 60 of his fellow Garston residents and dogwalkers asking her to review Steve’s situation - but as yet the effort has come to naught.

Lisa Morgan, from Watford Borough Council, said: "The council has continued to work to find Steve and Lionel a home, including asking for landlords with properties to let who are willing to accept dogs to contact us, unfortunately to date we haven't had any contact from Landlords willing to accommodate Steve and Lionel. We have also offered to assist Steve should he find a suitable property by himself. 

"The council does not own any housing stock. We work with private landlords and Emergency Accommodation providers to place clients when they are homeless unfortunately none of these providers accept dogs.

"Whilst we sympathise with Steve's situation, a tent is not deemed adequate accommodation especially in October, which is why under Housing Benefit guidelines we are unable to pay for Steve to reside in a tent."