A MOTHER-of-seven facing jail over money laundering has begun a fight to save her "nuisance" family from being thrown out of their Padiham home.

Janis Gabriel, 49, disabled husband John and their children have received eviction papers and could have their housing association home on Garden Street taken away.

Housing association Calico - formerly Burnley and Padiham Community Housing - has applied to take possession of the Gabriels' three-bedroom semi because of what they say are "ongoing breaches of tenancy".

Mrs Gabriel, whose family was said to have lived in luxury at their home despite being on benefits, claims Calico has served papers seeking possession to stop her buying the house.

A hearing at Burnley County Court was told how complaints are said to have been made against the Gabriels going back 20 years. But Mrs Gabriel, representing herself, claims allegations of nuisance only started after a feud with her brother Alan Ormerod three years ago.

She believes her brother's family has not only made up allegations against her family but could have been putting other people up to it as well to get her family in trouble.

A representative of Calico told the hearing it received complaints from other people, not just Mr Ormerod and his immediate family.

Padiham community beat officer PC Mark Jenkinson told the court that about eight or nine weeks ago police had a report of an incident, said to involve John Boy Gabriel and another person.

The officer said four police vehicles and a riot squad were sent to Garden Street but nobody was arrested.

PC Jenkinson said trouble was expected "because of the history at the address" and because of numerous phone calls about what was going to happen and who was going to turn up there. The officer said when he took up his position he understood he was taking on a problem because of two-year difficulties going on with families called the Doogans and the Ormerods, and the Gabriels.

PC Jenkinson said every week he received at least one call about the Gabriel family.

Mrs Gabriel is currently facing a possible prison sentence, after last week being convicted of two counts of possessing criminal property. She will learn her fate on November 26, after Recorder Alan Conrad, QC, ordered pre-sentence reports and gave her bail.

Burnley Crown Court heard how police found a total of £18,450, the profits of crime, stashed away when they twice raided the Gabriels' semi last summer. Officers were amazed to find the property had a swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi and was full of expensive electrical equipment, fittings and appliances.

The house also boasted a £3,000 42-inch plasma screen television and a state of the art CCTV system, which Mrs Gabriel told the jury was needed because of a family feud.

Mrs Gabriel, a self-confessed fruit machine addict, denied the charges against her and claimed the money was saved from benefits and gambling.

(Proceeding)