A school caretaker, his wife and 10-year-old autistic grandson fear being made homeless when he retires later this month - losing the house he has lived in for 27 years.

Gary Devlin, 65, was told on Tuesday that he, his wife Christine, 59 and their grandson Louis, 10, must leave their tied house as soon as he retires as caretaker at Trevelyan School in Wood Close, Windsor in two weeks.

Mr Devlin started as caretaker for the old Princess Margaret Royal Free School in 1990, then looked after Trevelyan Middle School when it moved onto the site.

The couple knew they would have to leave when he retired, but say they were always led to believe when the school was run by the Royal Borough that they would not be pressured.

Last year Trevelyan left the Royal Borough to team with Slough’s Upton Court Grammar School, becoming part of an independent trust.

On Monday Mr Devlin was asked to meet Mercedes Hernandez Estrada, the Upton Court head.

Mrs Devlin said: “Gary came back looking pale and said we had got to be out on the 28th and that workmen were coming in on the 29th.

“We have given 27 years of service here and we are treated like that. They do not seem bothered that Louis is autistic and goes to Trevelyan. They are making one of their own pupils homeless.”

Mrs Devlin is a nurse at the prestigious Prince Charles Eye unit at King Edward VII Hospital and says the stress has caused her to miss work.

As well as Louis, she fears for the family’s beloved pets – cats Timmy and Posh, dog Mandy and Louis’ pet snake Tapp, which he saved up to buy.

But Mrs Estrada said this week that she had tried to support Mr Devlin, advising him several times to approach the council about being rehoused well before his retirement.

She said she had also written to the council on his behalf and offered to extend his employment so he could stay longer.

She said: “I understand it is a stressful time but I have tried as hard as I can to help.”