I am a retired police officer from the north west of England.

My son Luke, 21, recently graduated from Plymouth University with a degree in marine biology.

He loved the south west and wanted to start his career in that area. Two months ago he got a position as a marine biologist working for a Government agency in Truro.

He managed to get some digs at a house on (street name supplied) in Truro.

It was a verbal agreement with the landlady which allowed him to rent a room in the house. It was for a three month period with the possibility of an extension. There was another lodger there as well with a similar agreement.

Everything went fine, my son loved his new career and he was a model tenant. His landlady was a woman in her 30’s with a child of school going age.

Yesterday morning as he was getting ready for work the landlady shouted through his door that he had 24 hours to leave the property.

When asked for an explanation the lady said it was due to the Corona virus and her fear of catching it. She wouldn’t listen to reason and became more and more paranoid over the day.

She eventually said that if my son hadn’t left by 4pm today she was calling the Police as he had stolen her key and the room he was lodging in.

This was totally ridiculous so I advised my son to leave as I feared she had become unhinged. He subsequently left this morning. I must stress that he had done nothing wrong.

The discussion point of this story is the ignorance and paranoia of people making them act like this. This woman is more likely to catch it off her child after school. Not a good advert for Truro. 

PATRICK GILL