a couple  who racked up thousands of pounds in debts with payday loan firms were evicted from their home and have been sleeping rough in their ford focus, it was revealed today for the past two months philip and victoria sherlock have been bedding down overnight in their old car, with their worldly belongings in its boot, on an industrial estate in warrington, cheshire times have become so tough they celebrated their wedding anniversary by sharing a twix chocolate bar the desperate pair borrowed £830 from lenders to try and cover their rent after mr sherlock, a self employed landscape gardener, was forced to stop working through ill health in october tough times: philip and victoria sherlock have been forced to live in their ford focus after falling in to debt  possessions: everything the married couple own is piled into the car after they were evicted from their home in north wales  but with interest rates of more than 1,000 per cent the debt soon spiralled out of control even though mrs sherlock, 32, was working 12 hours a week as a shop assistant, her £650 an hour minimum wage salary was not enough to pay their £125 a week rent they fell behind and by christmas owed more than £2,000 in january they couple were evicted from their two bedroomed home, in wrexham, north wales, and have been living in the car ever since today there was no sign of the pair at the industrial unit, but cctv footage from a local business appeared to confirm they had been arriving after dark and leaving early in the morning mr sherlock, 41, told the sun it was humiliating not being able to provide for his wife ‘we celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary a few days after moving all our belongings into the boot of our car,’ he said ‘we sat there, shared a twix chocolate bar and told ourselves we would turn this around ‘but the days have turned into weeks as an adult couple who want to work, it’s humiliating how far we have fallen all i want to do is take care of my wife but without a job, savings or a home, it’s just impossible’ rest: mr sherlock grabs some sleep in the car, which is usually based in a warrington car park  support: mrs sherlocks lays her head down   but the couple sleep in shifts so the other can keep an eye out  the couple’s problems began in october when mr sherlock went into hospital for an operation on a twisted intestine it meant he had to give up his £400 a week job as a self employed landscape gardener because it was too physical – a job he had done for the past 24 years 545am: couple wake up in the car and head to nearby shopping centre to use the toilet  8am: pasty each from bakery and then head to nearby pub for coffee and to charge phones  11am: victoria heads to work and philip goes to the job centre  530pm: dinner of baguette and spaghetti hoops in the car  830pm: head to car park for the night and sleep in shifts  instead he started claiming £84 a week in tax credits while he looked for other work, but, with mrs sherlock’s £78 a week income, the couple were bringing home just £162 a week after paying their rent, they were left with just £37 for food and bills and soon fell behind in desperation they turned to payday loan firms, borrowing £80 from 247moneybox, at an annual rate of 1,309 per cent and £100 from bongaloans at 1,272 per cent they also borrowed £500 from logbook loans to cover the cost for their car but they struggled with the repayments and within two months they were £2,000 in debt mrs sherlock said they sold their fridge, washing machine and even their bed but still couldn’t stave off the bailiffs ‘we needed quick and easy cash so we didn’t think twice,’ she said ‘but it all got out of control and we ended up with bailiffs at our door’ happier times: mr and mrs sherlock, pictured on their wedding day, have seen their life decline after health and debt problems  trouble: the pair have had to turn the focus into their home because they claim they asked the council for help but say they were told they were not considered high risk enough for emergency accommodation  the couple put all their belongings in their car and drove to warrington, where mrs sherlock works, to try to secure emergency accommodation but officials at the labour run warrington council said they were not high risk enough to qualify and instead they were advised to put their names on a council house waiting list mr sherlock, who has a 12 year old son form a previous relationship, said the couple allow themselves just £3 a day for food and use the toilets in supermarkets and showers in a local swimming baths daily he spends most of his time at the local job centre while his wife is at work, before parking up in the industrial unit, which is close to a main train line, after dark the couple have been sleeping rough in a five door ford focus similar to the one shown in this file picture  he added: ‘it’s freezing sleeping (in the car) ‘it stays noisy until about 3am and i watch over my wife, feeling like such a failure ‘we’ve cut down on the amount we eat ‘in the morning we share two pasties and drink coffee in wetherspoons, which gives free refills for dinner we split a baguette from a local bakery’ a spokeswoman for warrington council said they couldn’t comment on individual cases, but insisted they offered a wide range of support for people in need of accommodation in the area this includes information on social and private housing, loans, bonds and tenancy workshops, she added
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philip and victoria sherlock have been evicted from their two bed flat  couple are destitute after taking a series of payday loans to pay the bills  forced to live in a ford focus in a car park after running out of money  sleep and eat meals in the vehicle and go to the loo in shops and pubs  pair claim that council can't help because their case is not 'high risk'