A PENSIONER fighting to protect his beloved collection of vintage machinery may be short in stature but he certainly has high standing in his community.

John Petch, known as Husky, is being threatened with eviction from his compound after Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council called in the sheriffs to clear the area.

But the determined 66-year-old is refusing to budge and the community of Dormanstown, near Redcar, has rallied around the retired mechanic.

And due to his fear of the sheriffs moving in on his property he is being forced to miss the funeral of his friend Arthur Stork on Monday.

Yesterday (Saturday, October 11), he remained on his guard at the compound on The Green but for the first time since Monday, when the stand-off, started he stepped outside to chat with friends who are refusing to let him being bullied off the site.

“Even though there is a funeral I can’t go to, I won’t be leaving this compound so that they can come in as soon as my back is turned,” he said. “They are trying to say that I’m running a scrap yard and that I owe them money but they know that’s not true – I owe them nothing.”

Mother-of-two Drew Tilley organised the rally so that members of the close-knit community could show their support.

“They council are not going to be able to move all of us,” she said. “Everybody around here loves Husky; he’s a lovely man who isn’t harming anyone.

“What they are trying to do to him is just not fair and we won’t let it happen.”

There was a hardcore of 30 friends and neighbours showing their support while many more came and went throughout the day.

A meeting is expected to be held on Monday afternoon with council bosses but Husky is sending friends as his representatives as he is refusing to leave the compound.

David Kirwan, who has known the pensioner since their school days, said: “I don’t live in the area anymore but I had to come down and show my support to Husky. What they are trying to do to him just isn’t right. What everyone really wants to know is why the council are so desperate to get him out after 15 years.”

Tomorrow (Monday) will mark a week of the stand-off and Husky has no intention of moving. He said: “They forced me out of my home but they’re not forcing me off here.”