Five bedroomed property adjacent to home of cleric's wife and children
A house in Aldbourne Road in Shepherd's Bush, next door to the home of radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza's family, has been sold for £1,600,000.
The terraced house, which was formerly the home of Labour politician John Hutton, now Baron Hutton on Furness, has five bedrooms and a 50 foot garden which adjoins its neighbour.
In May, Abu Hamza al-Masri, who became notorious for his sermons outside Finsbury Park Mosque, was found guilty of 11 charges of supporting terrorism by a court in New York and is due to be sentenced this month.
However, his wife Najat Mostafa, remained in the house in Shepherd's Bush, where she has lived for 17 years.
Mostafa, 53, Hamza's second wife, has brought up eight children, though it is believed she now lives with just two of her daughters in the property.
In May it was reported that Hammersmith and Fulham council had asked Mostafa to 'downsize' from the five bedroom house to make room for one of the families on their 10,000 strong waiting list, but she refused.
At the time, a spokesman for H&F Council said: "We believe this home is too big for the number of family members who currently live there and, with over 10,000 people languishing on the borough’s housing waiting list, she should move to a more appropriate property."
However, the council has no authority to evict her as her tenancy has no time limit. Mostafa could also benefit from a maximum discount of £75,000 off any future purchase under the Right-to-Buy scheme passed into law by Margaret Thatcher in the Housing Act of 1980, which was designed to encourage private ownership of property by council tenants.
September 1, 2014
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