A WOMAN who runs a bargain basement to raise funds for the homeless is battling to survive after her landlord increased the rent.

Kathleen Ramsden, who sells furniture, household goods and bric-a-brac from the cellar of a shop in Church Street, Accrington, was told by her landlord that the rent would be increased from £60 to £175 a week.

Her landlord, who would only give his name as Mr Goulin has given her 14 days to make up her mind whether to stay.

As local charities paid trbiute to Kathleen's work, Mr Goulin said he wanted to help but couldn't afford to cover her costs anymore.

The 70-year-old runs the operation single-handedly, taking in items from people and selling them from the dimly-lit basement at rock bottom prices to needy people.

People are referred to her by Maundy Grange, the Abbey Street charity that helps the needy and homeless.

Any profits she makes are donated to Blackburn-based charity Nightsafe.

"When he said it I was shocked," said Mrs Ramsden, who has been renting the shop since last year.

"It's all voluntary work, all I get is my bus fares. I'm happy with my work, I have got that place going. What am I going to do with all this furniture? I want to stay here because it's handy for people who come from Maundy Grange.

"It's for a good cause and I'm just an ordinary pensioner who works for charity."

Mr Goulin said: "That's the proper rent, it's not an increase. We have never charged the proper rent.

"We are helping charity but we can't do it forever. I can't afford to do it any more, you can only do it for so long. We are paying the electricity and the water rates. We are not making a single penny out of the £60.

"If the shop can't make money and pay the expenses, we can only do so much."

Linda Sharratt, resettlement officer for Nightsafe said: "Kathleen gives us donations, she must have donated nearly £1,000 in just over a year. It's amazing she does this because you can't imagine why anyone would want to spend their day in there.

"She's an incredible woman and really good-hearted. It's such a big jump in rent and it really is very much down in the bowels of the earth."

Dorothy MGregor, manager of Maundy Relief, said: "We can refer people to her and she will give the furniture away on occasions. She sells it normally at rock bottom prices, just enough to pay the rent and give something to Nightsafe.

" I have written to the landlord for her. It's difficult for her and conditions aren't marvellous. There's no natural lighting down there. She does a good job and she's not a young person."