A buy-to-let landlord in Edinburgh, who faces losing his license after evicting a young family, is appealing to his other tenants for help to avoid being blacklisted by the council.

David Love, who owns a portfolio of 15 buy-to-let properties in and around Edinburgh, hit the headlines earlier this year after evicting mum-of-nine Donna Newby and her children, who had occupied the flat for nine years, for not paying the rent.

Aside from face being homeless, the family had all their possessions dumped in the street by their landlord, who is also an amateur boxer, with several items, including TVs, laptops and electronic toys, broken beyond repair.

No one was in when Love and his helpers turned up at the flat in Edinburgh’s Drylaw in March.

They piled the family’s possessions up outside before Newby, 41, arrived home to find her belongings heaped together outside.

The tenant had fallen behind on her rent after missing a JobCentre appointment and losing her housing benefit.

But left with “almost nothing”, Newby has decided to take action against the landlord, which could lead to Love’s license being taken away from him.

A council spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that the revocation of Mr Love’s registration will be considered in private by the council’s licensing subcommittee.”

“The City of Edinburgh Council requested information held by Police Scotland as part of an assessment on the suitability of a registered landlord, following an eviction in Drylaw in March 2018. The information was provided,” she added.

Fearful of losing his license, Love is calling on his other tenants, typically families on low incomes, to back him or face potentially being made homeless.

Love told the press: “If I was to lose my landlord license then the 15 families who rent houses from me will be facing homelessness as I will be forced to evict them all and sell the properties.

“So I ask that the licensing committee consider the wellbeing of the families that will be made homeless by this decision. “Most of my tenants have children and are on benefits. Three of my tenants are on disability benefits. They have little chance of getting another family home in their area.”

He added: “They [his tenants] are all really worried about the possibility of being made homeless due to this licence fiasco.

“There are 15 families facing homelessness this Christmas because of this licence fiasco.

“Even if I deserve to lose my licence – which I don’t – why should all my tenants lose their homes because of it?”