A THREE-YEAR legal battle to evict a council tenant has ended with her being defeated in the High Court.

Kehinde Gurburz, aged 44, of Blagdon Road, Lewisham, had been illegally sub-letting a four-bedroom council house at 40 Czar Street, Deptford.

Officers from the council's fraud team discovered in 2001 Gurburz was one of the freeholders of a property in Lewisham which had been bought in 1996, but still claimed the council house was her main home.

An investigation found she was living in the second property and rented out the Deptford council maisonette, therefore breaking her tenancy agreement.

One of her sub-tenants gave statements to the officers confirming he rented the property from Gurburz and said three other tenants did the same thing.

Years of legal battles over the property were thought to be over when the council was given possession of the property in February last year and an eviction was due to take place the following month.

However, Gurburz stalled by taking the eviction to the High Court and then failing to turn up.

A retrial took place in March this year and, once again, a possession order was granted in the council's favour.

Despite attempts to take it back to the High Court, Gurburz failed.

She was finally evicted on August 10 and ordered to pay the council £7,780 in arrears.

Councillor Dave Whiting, cabinet member for resources, said: "This is a great result and reward for the efforts of staff in this three-year battle.

"Lewisham Council will not tolerate people trying to defraud it and will go to any lengths to ensure these cheats are exposed and brought to justice."

"If anyone knows of or suspects anyone of sub-letting council property please contact our hotline on 0800 0850119," he added.