'Heartbreaking': The man driven out by the UK's £5bn theme park

Surrounded by rolling fields and lakes, Ritchie Wood's home of 11 years provided the serene village life he loved.

Yet in recent weeks, his neighbours have packed their bags and left - their houses in Kempston Hardwick, Bedfordshire, soon to be reduced to rubble.

"It's totally changed to how it used to be - it used to be lovely. We had a nice little community here, lots of wildlife, very quiet," Wood tells the BBC.

Now, as the 55-year-old looks around him in Manor Road, all he sees are empty properties. Wood knows his will be next.

His rented home lies in the middle of what will be Universal's new £5bn theme park, touted to be the UK's biggest tourist attraction when it opens in 2031.

After a long-running standoff between the developer and the residents, some of whom initially refused to leave their homes, demolition work has now started.

"I genuinely have nowhere to go", says Wood, who expects to be homeless within two months when his landlord evicts him.

"Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to afford anywhere in the area for the same sort of rent [I pay now]."

Contractors want to raze a terrace of 12 properties in Manor Road, as well as several others, and have closed the road until 28 November to work on it.

The quiet hum of village life has been replaced by the sound of lorries and generators working on the 476-acre (193ha) theme park, Wood says.

"It's very strange and very surreal. When I drive up and down this road, I almost feel I shouldn't be here now."

Seeing his neighbours' houses being demolished is a sight that almost brings him to tears.

"I came past and saw them being demolished yesterday and it's heartbreaking," Wood adds.

"It almost brings tears to my eyes because it's all just going to go."

There are clear benefits to the Universal resort, which is expected to draw 8.5 million visitors a year and contribute £50bn to the UK economy by 2055.

A 500-room hotel is planned at the site and shuttle buses from Milton Keynes Central will serve it every seven minutes on average, according to Labour MP Emily Darlington, external.

Then there are the adrenaline junkies excited by the prospect of a resort that will rival Disneyland Paris.

"Everyone else is doing great out of this," Wood sighs.

"I'm in a very unique situation. Out of 70 million people in the country, I'm the only person facing homelessness out of this."

Residents in Manor Road were not subject to compulsory purchase orders, but, nonetheless, have told the BBC they felt forced to move.

Universal bypassed local planning procedures and instead got permission from the government to build the resort in December.

Wood says the global brand has not done enough to support him while trying to find a new house.

Wood adds: "This has been my home for 11 years and the uncertainty of not knowing where I'm going to be in a few months time is really, really worrying. Genuinely very worrying and scary."

Universal has been contacted to respond to his concerns.

In a letter to residents, external on 18 September, the theme park developer said it remained "committed to being a good neighbour" during the project.

It has previously stressed that 80% of the attraction's workforce will come from Bedfordshire and neighbouring counties, stating "local focus is important".

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