Family moved to freezing home

Stuart McKay, who also has an autistic stepson, said stains which appeared to be blood were on the walls and floor of the property at Down Terrace, Brighton.

He described the situation as "a comedy of errors".

The family moved into the council house on Monday but found it was not connected to the gas supply and the boiler needed to be replaced.

After three days with no hot water, they were promised by Brighton and Hove City Council an immersion heater would be connected.

Mr McKay, 46, said: "We were freezing. My son was having to sleep with his mum and the baby to keep warm.

"Having no hot water is absolutely deplorable. The gas boiler was condemned. It was so bad it needed replacing.

"But it could not be inspected until the gas supply was connected and they could not do that until we moved in."

Mr McKay, his wife Pam, 37, their baby daughter Sian and Pam's 15-year-old son Eddie had nowhere else to stay after leaving their previous property in Whitehawk. They were given temporary heaters by the council.

A council spokeswoman said: "We're sorry about the problems Mr McKay has faced with his new property and we've apologised.

"We cannot do full checks on gas boilers until the new tenant moves in and gets their gas supply switched on. We went to his property to do this on the first day of Mr McKay's tenancy but unfortunately he forgot the appointment.

"When we went back on Tuesday we found the boiler needed replacing. We've assured him we will do this in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime we have left him with some temporary electric heaters.

"We've arranged for an electrician to wire in an immersion heater circuit to give him hot water.

"We have also apologised for the marks on his wall and floor, although we cannot confirm at this stage whether or not it is blood, as has been suggested."

Mr McKay confirmed he missed an appointment last Friday but felt this would not have made much difference to his plight.