property of using the media in a cynical attempt to embarrass her.

Ms Gordon confirmed that the man and his family were evicted from a shop they rented from her elderly mother after, she claimed, all legal moves had been exhausted.

The tenant then took his story to the electronic media last night.

The United Bermuda Party leader said the tenant had moved in for a rent of $1,000 per month, but had convinced her mother that she was overcharging.

"She then reduced the rent to $400 to be a decent landlady, but he wasn't paying his rent,'' said Ms Gordon.

She said the property -- believed to be in the Hamilton area -- was in need of repair and the tenant was given "request after request'' to move out so it could be upgraded with the opportunity of coming back.

She claimed the tenant fell into rent arrears and refused to move, so in April she went to court to give him notice to move out on June 15.

She said: "This has been going on since January. It is a clear case of someone using my political side as Leader of the Opposition to try to get some leeway from the public when he was taking advantage of an elderly citizen.''