Revised rules to enable homeless people housed in Maidstone council emergency accommodation to refuse an offer of a permanent home if they are not allowed to take their pets with them, may be renamed the John Chadwick Rule.

Maidstone campaigner Dee Bonett, who has campaigned vigorously for the change in the tenancy policy since the death of her friend John Chadwick four years ago.

She had asked members of the council's communities, housing and environment committee to consider adopting the new name at their meeting this week.

But Ms Bonett found she was pushing at an open door, with committee chairman Derek Mortimer immediately committing to asking council officers to include such a name-change when a report on the scheme, currently running as a pilot only, was brought back to the council later this year.

John Chadwick took his own life in March 2017, just 10 days after being told by the council that he could not take his three dogs with him into his new accommodation.

His tragic case has now been something of a cause celebre nationally, with Romford MP Andrew Rosindell, who is campaigning for similar pets-allowed rules to be adopted on a country-wide basis, laying down an early day motion in the House of Commons in Mr Chadwick's memory last month.

Cllr Margaret Rose (Lab) expressed her support for the proposals and commended the work done by Ms Bonett in campaigning for the changes.

Ms Bonett said: "The changes made here in Maidstone have set the benchmark for other local authorities to follow."

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