A desperate father could find himself living on the streets in a matter of days.

Peter James Beddoe lost his mother in May last year following a two-year battle with cancer.

He went to Brighton and Hove City Council to see if he could get the tenancy on his family home – in which he had lived with her for 38 years – transferred to his name.

But to his shock he was told it was not possible – having already been transferred once to his mother’s name when his father died in 2001.

Now after a 10-month battle to stay in the property in Riley Road, Brighton, the 47-year-old has been told he must hand over the keys by 12pm today.

He said: “I don’t think it’s right, I’ve been there most of my life.

“I understand it’s a three-bedroom house and that they could let another family have it. I just don’t think it’s too far out of their way to re-accommodate me.”

Mr Beddoe has been unable to work since an accident when a set of steps he was standing on fell through the floor leaving him with broken ribs.

As a result he has fallen into financial difficulty and is being treated for depression.

Speaking to The Argus, he said he has been forced to rent privately after having one successful year in his business, which the council used to determine his housing needs.

He added: “I’d had a good year and made about £18,000 – usually it’s about £10,000. They said I could afford to rent private but I have no money to rent privately.”

Mr Beddoe, who usually has his children at the house at weekends, will be forced to either find a new home in the next few days, or take his possessions and live on the streets.

Brighton and Hove City Council has said they are unable to pass the tenancy to him because of legal issues.

A spokesman said: “We have high numbers of families who are in desperate need of this type of accommodation, and a chronic shortage of available homes.

“The council has no legal duty to house Mr Beddoe, and we are therefore not in a position to offer him alternative accommodation.

“The council has allowed Mr Beddoe more than 10 months to find alternative housing, and offered advice to help him do so.

“We believe this is a very generous time frame for him to make suitable arrangements for himself.”