Locals have rallied in support of a Fife teenager who was left with nothing when council contractors cleared her flat and destroyed her belongings by mistake.
Tegan Dickson, 17, of Leven, returned to her flat last Tuesday to find everything was gone.
As revealed by The Courier on Friday, Fife Council has apologised for the error with an investigation under way from both the local authority and Orbis Protect, which carried out the botched clearance.
Tegan has since set up an online fundraising page asking for donations to help her get back on her feet – after she was left with just the clothes she works in.
She claims it could take months for the council to reimburse her financially for what she has lost.
‘Amazing response’ to online fundraiser
The apprentice engineer says she has had an “amazing” response from people, who have donated hundreds of pounds and other items to the cause.
She told The Courier: “I made a GoFundMe as I am on an apprenticeship wage and can’t afford to get everything I had back.
“The community have been amazing, I’ve had people giving me food and photos for the house. The council haven’t been helpful at all.
“The response has been overwhelming, but I generally feel unsafe in my own house knowing it could either happen again and knowing someone has a key.”
It is unclear how the contractors were able to gain access to Tegan’s flat – which she had moved into just a fortnight before – but she has since moved to her mum’s home in Kirkcaldy.
After The Courier revealed Tegan’s ordeal, several of our readers expressed sympathy for her situation on Facebook.
Pauline Gourlay wrote: “This is awful, things can be replaced but sentimental items can’t.”
Mandy Peters said: “Poor girl, she’s lost personal things that can never be replaced. How can they be so careless?”
I’d be very upset and furious if this happened to me… devastating
Courier reader
And Vikki Wood posted: “The council should be replacing everything and also compensating for the stress this has caused and for irreplaceable family items.
“I’d be very upset and furious if this happened to me. Devastating. How can we help this young person?”
Tegan added: “The community have made me feel so much better than I did when it happened, their response has been amazing.
“I really want to just thank everyone who has donated to me so far, and to The Courier for getting the story out there.”
