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ANNA Violari, a refugee from western Kyrenia, is to take an estate agent with offices in the UK and the occupied north to court for trying to sell her property illegally.

She is taking her action through the European courts both individually and through a group under the banner of the former residents of Kyrenia.

Violari's actions were prompted when her son, Chris, saw a picture of his mother's house on the Unwins Estates website offered for sale at £40,000.

"Words cannot convey the feelings I felt when I saw the pictures of my house," Violari told the Sunday Mail. "I feel the pain of being made a refugee all over again."

Violari took legal advice and confirmed yesterday that she is taking the estate agent to court. "I am very angry. How can an estate agent sell a property without title deeds? This house belongs to my family. They didn't ask us. Can you imagine how angry I feel? Don't these people realise they are committing a crime?"

Unwins Estates have offices in both the north of Cyprus and England. It is estimated that more than 1,000 Britons now live in the occupied areas of the island, some of them in houses owned by Greek Cypriots.

"How can they buy our houses? They know these properties belong to Greek Cypriots," Violari said yesterday. "Are they doing it on purpose? Would they buy houses in occupied Palestine from an Israeli?""