HAVEN House children's hospice is being threatened with eviction by Waltham Forest Council.

The charity, based in Woodford Green, has just weeks to pay off the lease as the council's lawyers prepare repossession papers.

A letter informing the children's hospice of its impending eviction arrived on Monday morning after the council refused to allow it to spread payment of £280,000 over three years.

Haven House's chief executive, Lynda Clarke, said: "We have already paid £100,000 of the £380,000, 60-year lease. But after the Lottery refused our bid for funds, we could not pay the rest in one lump sum.

"We offered to pay the rest over three years and tried to meet Waltham Forest Council leader Tony Buckley and the chief executive, Simon White, but they have refused to see us.

"The council says it wants the money in this financial year.

"We have cash but that is ringfenced for renovations and legally we can't use it."

A spokeswoman for Waltham Forest Council told the Guardian that only if Haven House paid up in full could the repossession order by cancelled.

She said: "We are disappointed that Haven House has put the council in the difficult position of having to seek legal redress by refusing to pay the money it owes.

"The council has been very lenient and has allowed payment which was originally due in February 2001 to be deferred several times. Haven House can stop legal action being taken against it at any time by meeting the terms of the contract."

But Haven House, currently taking advice from its solicitors, is not without support.

Patsy Palmer, who played Bianca in EastEnders and recently gave birth to a daughter, immediately began campaigning when she heard of the council's plans to shut the place down.

The mother-of-three said: "This place should be given a chance. The councillors should come down here and see just what's being done. It would be terrible if Haven House wasn't allowed to open."

By.Sara Dixon