As if being cooped up in their Kleinburg home because of the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t bad enough, one family felt like they were living through a bizarre movie when the nanny they decided to let go due to her worrying behaviour barricaded herself in her room and refused to leave for 10 days.

It all began for the Milnes family after deciding to hire a nanny, who would watch their children and also be willing to do chores around the house, such as cooking and shopping.

The first nanny, hired from England, left to be with her boyfriend.

In a pinch, the family, which includes three children — a 10-year-old boy, six-year-old girl and a three-year-old girl — realized they needed to act fast.

“We were in a panic,” said father Ryan Milnes.

So after hearing from a lady from Georgetown, they conducted a FaceTime interview before eventually hiring the woman as the first nanny’s replacement on Feb. 1.

The family set her up with a bedroom with ensuite bathroom, the keys to their vehicle, her own WiFi and a cellphone.

The first week went very well, great meals and a tidy house, prompting the family to think they’d hit the jackpot.

However, it wasn’t long until cracks began to show.

Milnes, who runs a software firm, said by the third week the woman was locking herself in her room for days on end.

“My son would call us saying there was no breakfast and she was still in her room and wouldn’t come out, even missing the school bus,” he said, explaining how, at one point, she racked up an $800 charge on his bank card at Indigo. “They were gifts for the children, so she had good intentions, but it just wasn’t appropriate.”

After the one month review, the couple decided to let the nanny go, promising to pay her for an extra month’s salary.

But soon after that conversation, she locked herself in her room, refusing to come out or speak to the family.

With little option, Milnes called York Regional Police and despite being “very nice” to him and his family, he said the officers didn’t understand the law.

“They kept saying it’s a Landlord Tenant Act issue and we can’t remove or evict anyone during COVID-19,” said Milnes. “But the reality is that if you are sharing a kitchen with the person, it’s a trespassing issue and she should be removed.”

Nonetheless, he said the officers did help negotiate a deal.

The nanny requested $3,000 and two months at a hotel, before finally agreeing to $2,000 and one month at a Wasaga Beach resort the family had access to.

“I started to feel like I was being extorted,” he said. “But I agreed.”

But then the nanny stopped communicating with Milnes again.

The next time police arrived, the nanny was firm, saying the deal was off and she wasn’t leaving.

Milnes grew frustrated and put out a Facebook post that went viral.

He had countless replies, including one from Brian Cuban — the brother of American entrepreneur Mark Cuban — and a phone call from a sympathetic chief executive from California who suggested the family move out of the house, turn off all the utilities and blast music at all hours of the day.

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“So many people wanted to help,” Milnes said. “But sensory deprivation seemed a bit extreme.”

Finally, Milnes’ brother-in-law came up with a plan.

They brought in two friends who removed the door, displaced the barricade she’d set up and reclaimed the bed and anything else belonging to the family, including the dresser and TV.

Following that, Milnes shut off the WiFi and her cellphone.

The woman called police, reporting a break and enter. The officer who arrived proved to be Milnes’ saviour.

After negotiating with the nanny’s aunt, the officer was able to contact her mother, with whom the nanny hadn’t spoken in years, and the pair patched things up.

Milnes said he provided her with an Uber to take her home after she’d filled the Nissan Pathfinder full of her belongings and her cat.

When they finally inspected the room they found she had filled large vases full of water in case the family cut off the water, had three huge bags of Kitty Litter and food, which she’d been cooking on a hot plate in the closet.

“She was a sweet person, but seemed very volatile,” he said. “We had no idea if she was mentally unstable. But when she left, we just wanted to celebrate.”

In the aftermath the family said they have found a new nanny from Italy, whom they adore.

Milnes said he decided to come forward in order to help others caught in this situation.

York police Sgt. Andy Pattenden confirmed that a woman was removed from the home on April 18.

“Our officers were called to the residence for a report of a break and enter in progress,” he added. “Once on scene they found that this was a case of an employee who had been living in the home while working and was no longer employed or permitted back into the residence.

“Our officers maintained the peace and thankfully both parties were able to work out an acceptable arrangement.”