Falkirk Council 'reasonable' to warn tenant who claimed to be victim of smears

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Falkirk Council was justified in penalising an anti-social tenant despite their claims to have been the victim of a smear campaign, a regulator has ruled.

The local authority issued multiple warnings against the resident following reports of anti-social behaviour. However, the tenant complained to the council and later to Scotland's public services watchdog in a bid to have the ruling overturned.

But the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) has concluded that Falkirk was justified in telling the tenant to behave. The resident, named as 'C' in public documents, filed a complaint with the ombudsman after being slapped with a number of black marks on their record - with the threat of eviction hanging over them if the behaviour continued.C told the watchdog they were the victim of "false accusations" made by neighbours who were motivated by discrimination.But investigators from the regulator examined the evidence housing officers had gathered on the tenant's behaviour - and concluded that the council's actions had been justified.The SPSO said: "C complained about the council after being issued with a number of warnings against their tenancy for antisocial behaviour."C said that the reports of antisocial behaviour were false accusations made by a number of neighbours motivated by discrimination.Falkirk Live brings you the latest headlines from Falkirk and beyond.But did you know all the ways you can stay informed with us?We share live news and exclusive scoops every day so make sure you're following us so we can keep you informed on all things Falkirk!"They told us that the council had unreasonably accepted corroboration between the neighbours, who were friends, but would not accept corroboration from C's parents for