A SOUTH Essex couple are desperate to find a new home after claiming they found mice droppings in their children's beds.

Lewis Bliss and Kerris Buck, who live in the "overcrowded" one bedroom flat with their two young children in Charlton Close, Pitsea, have also been living with mould and damp throughout the property.

They claim Sanctuary, the housing association which owns the flat, and Basildon Council are not doing enough to help the issues and find them an alternative home. 

The housing association claim they are working with the family to address the issues and the council claims it is investigating the matter too. 

Mr Bliss who claims the issues are "ruining" their lives said: "It's affecting our mental health, because I am seeing my family struggling with it all. It's hard to find the words but it's ruining our lives, it's breaking our family apart. The amount of times my partner and I have clashes because we're on top of each other."

The father of two says his partner and children barely leave the property as she really struggles to walk down the stairs at the flats after having two Caesarean sections in recent years.

"We're all in the same bedroom, we don't get any alone time or space alone. My two-year-old loves being outside but now, as my partner can't get out of the property, all he wants to do is stay in the flat. 

"He's got big bags under his eyes, no two year old should be having that. He's not eating properly, and it's now a fight to get him out of the flat as he's so used to being stuck in the flat for so long."

Lewis has complained about the council and housing assocation calling their treatment of his family "terrible". He calls it "absolutely appalling." 

A spokesman for Sanctuary said: "We are committed to supporting this family and have already arranged for significant work to be carried out when issues have been reported to us. This includes repairs and improvements in the bathroom, and employing a specialist pest control contractor to investigate concerns about a possible infestation.

"We can also confirm we have worked closely with the family to help them provide all the information needed to apply for a move to a new home through Basildon Borough Council, as the local authority have responsibility for managing the housing waiting list in the area."

A council spokesman said: "The couple have made an application to join the council's housing register. This application is currently suspended while we await the necessary documentation from their landlord, Sanctuary Housing, to progress it. We are continuing to investigate the matter and are liaising directly with Sanctuary Housing to try to resolve it. 

"We have advised the couple of this and suggested that they may wish to contact Sanctuary Housing to ask about joining their own Housing Register, as this could help support a move to a more suitable accommodation."