A pensioner has gone viral on TikTok documenting life in a converted minivan after she was evicted from her flat and had no where else to go.

Lyn Pearman was kicked out of her home under a Section 21 order and was stuck "between a rock and a hard place" as house and rent prices soared in Ramsgate.

Her council benefit only allocated £447 a month, meaning she would have struggled to find a suitable place to stay, and she didn't want to burden her adult children having cared for her own mother for many years.

So, after selling almost all her belongings in the flat, Ms Pearman brought her van on eBay and took to life on the road.

The 66-year-old told KentOnline what life has been like since, and how she copes in her house on wheels.

"I always fancied living in a van - obviously a better equipped one than this one I have at the moment - but being evicted was the push that meant I had to do it

"I thought 'what am I going to do?', then I saw the van on eBay."

Her first night was "scary" and she "felt vulnerable".

"But I was between a rock and a hard place, " she continued.

"It was all very scary but so was the thought of staying in a flat with the rent increases and the rise in the cost-of-living."

On the former personal trainer's first night in the vehicle, she began documenting her journey on social media site, TikTok.

Ms Pearman said: "I had 11 followers on TikTok - just from a couple of silly videos.

"On the first night I went on there and I just said who I was, what happened and that I was going to be living in a van and overnight it went crazy.

"Within a week, I had 37,000 followers.

"That first video now had over 650,000 views."

Van life has not been without its challenges for the retiree.

As a woman living on her own, she has had to be sensible about where she parks at night - and the worry for her safety is always there.

"I get anxious about where to park when it gets dark.

"I don’t want to park outside someone’s house and annoy them.

"On the first night I went on there and I just said who I was, what happened and that I was going to be living in a van and overnight it went crazy..."

"Usually, I wait until it gets dark then I go to a residential street where there isn’t much footfall.

"I get there at dark and leave in the morning.

"It’s a bit scary being on my own in the van, but I turn my lights off and keep quiet so people don’t know I’m in there as I don't want to draw attention to the fact someone is living in it."

Ms Pearman says she hasn't encountered any problems yet, but the area of Ramsgate she parks in is also something for the mum-of-two to consider.

She explained: "I choose where I park - I wouldn’t park on Ramsgate seafront because there’s been stabbings down there."

The recent bad weather has brought its challenges too.

She explains: "I’ve been absolutely freezing and shaking in the van before.

"I’ve got a hot water bottle. It’s okay in bed if I don’t pop a limb out and stay under the covers."

But having a portable home comes with its benefits.

She said: "I can live wherever I want.

"I park anywhere over Thanet - that’s one of the benefits.

"I wake up every morning, go to the seafront, have my breakfast on the beach and watch the waves.

"People pay £1 million to buy a house by the sea and I get to just pull up - and probably block their view!"

Now, Ms Pearman has 39,000 TikTok followers under her page @offtotravel and has "a real community" behind her.

She posts about her day-to-day life in the caravan from what she eats to where she goes.

And her army of fans worry about the pensioner.

"People pay £1 million to buy a house by the sea and I get to just pull up - and probably block their view..."

She said: "People look out for me and want to know that I get up alright in the morning.

"They like to know what I do during the day and they seem to get some sort of inspiration from it for some reason."

She has amassed an audience from all over the world, including the US, Holland and Norway.

Her followers asked to send money and gifts to the pensioner when they heard about her situation, especially with the converted minibus having no fridge and bad heating.

Eventually, her son set up a GoFundMe so people could donate.

"I didn’t want any money," she said.

"It has now been set up for living in, and people have been so kind."

Soon, she will have a fridge and a diesel heater so she can cook better food and stay warm at night.

As for eating, the lack of fridge has made thing difficult.

Ms Pearman finds it's "usually cheaper to eat at Toby Carvery" as without a fridge she had to throw a lot of food away.

But sadly, some people have directed hate at her over her decision to live in the van, and asked why she can't stay with her family or in a council property.

She explained: "My son works away and just lives in a room.

"My daughter has a busy life and already works very hard and has four children so I wouldn't want to burden them.

"I looked after my mum for years and I know what it’s like."

Furthermore, her council benefit only covers £473 in rent, meaning her "chances of getting a place were very poor".

As for the future, Ms Pearman said: "The outlook is not good for me getting a real place to stay.

"There is not a lot of places to rent now, lots of landlords are doing Airbnb, and the rents are £700 upwards.

"As time goes on I'm getting more accustomed to living in the van. My bed is nice and cosy.

"I’ve got it better than some people."