A SAINTS player is at the centre of a housing row after he was accused of kicking out tenants from their homes with only two weeks’ notice.

Striker Lee Barnard bought a 14-bedroom house in Chelmsford, Essex, ahead of marrying his fiancé Tonya French yesterday.

But tenants living there were furious to receive letters two weeks ago demanding they find a new home by June 1 or the gas, water and electricity would be turned off while they were still living there.

By law they should have received two months’ notice.

But Barnard, 28, who spent last season on loan at Oldham Athletic and Bournemouth, claims there was a mix-up and the letters had been sent with the wrong leaving date.

A Chelmsford City Council spokeswoman confirmed yesterday that residents had been served an illegal notice and said: “We informed them of their legal rights, what the legal process is for bringing the tenancy to an end and offered support in finding new housing.

But she added: “The new owner has been advised of their legal obligations and they are being completely compliant and are now following the correct legal process.”