ALMOST every village has one. A man who will take on any task, from gardening to grass cutting, mending fences and unblocking drains — not always easy to pin down about a starting date for the job but with you immediately in a real emergency.

The village of Churchstow is up in arms because it may soon lose such a man and my contacts there have asked if I will tell his story. Here it is.

Bernard Scott was born in what used to be a council house and has lived there all his life with his mother Daphne, who died recently. Now he has been given notice to quit because she was the official tenant.

The decision by Tor Homes has angered fellow residents and practically everyone in Churchstow has signed a petition asking the landlords to change their minds. They say Bernard deserves special consideration because he is such a valuable asset to the community and they don't want to lose him.

They describe him as 'a true countryman and everyone's friend' who will go out of his way to help anyone, particularly the elderly. He is always modest with the fees he charges — too modest for his own good, some say.

A 'Let Bernard stay' petition has been circulating. Gill Belcher at the village shop told me people have been flocking to sign it. Some have taken forms away to enlist support elsewhere because Bernard runs a couple of shoots and is well known throughout the South Hams countryside.

"Bernard is brilliant," Gill says. "His mother was also a well loved member of the community. He looked after her towards the end of her life and he should be allowed to stay in the house they have lived in for so long."

I received the same reaction from everyone I talked to in Churchstow. His friend and neighbour Steve Thirtle, who organised the petition, reckons it will have several hundred signatures.

Bernard, who is 53, lives with his partner Ann in a three-bedroom house that was part of small estate built after the war to provide homes quickly. Only a few remain because most were demolished after developing concrete cancer.

He has appealed against his eviction and is reluctant to comment until it is heard. But he told me he is heartened and grateful for the support he has received.

There are, of course, two sides to any story and Tor Homes, based in Totnes, explained why they have given Bernard notice to quit although they are sympathetic to his situation.

Zilpah Leahy, housing and customer services manager, said that when Mr Scott's father died the tenancy passed to his mother.

"The Housing Acts set out who may succeed to a tenancy. It is not down to the individual discretion of a housing association. The law says there can be only one right of succession. We are under no legal obligation to re-house Mr Scott but have, in fact, offered him alternative accommodation, a two-bedroom bungalow with parking and a rural location. Mr Scott has refused this offer.

"This is a hard situation but it must be balanced against the large demand in the South Hams for family-sized accommodation. There is a need in the South Hams for more than 600 homes every year."

Roger Hind is chairman of Churchstow Parish Council and he says the community is right behind Bernard Scott who is always willing to help anyone and runs errands for the old folk.

"We don't want to lose him," he said. "If he does have to move to a smaller house I do hope he can be found somewhere in Churchstow."

I agree. If not in Churchstow itself, which may be difficult, then perhaps they can find him somewhere in one of the nearby villages so that he can keep up the contacts everyone feels are so important.