A family is still living in the blackened shell of its home after a serious fire.

Mum Teresa Stocker says she has been forced to stay at the property, in Birdham Road, Brighton, after being offered just one room for herself and her three children by Brighton and Hove City Council.

The family is living and sleeping in the lounge and dining room of the charred house, which has no hot water.

Miss Stocker said the children were going stir crazy in the cramped conditions.

She returned home after taking her dogs for a walk to find flames pouring out of the first-floor windows of the house.

Her oldest son Jason, 12, and Marcus, seven, were standing outside and a neighbour had called the fire brigade.

She said Friday's fire had been caused by Marcus lighting tissue paper while she was out.

She said: "Marcus was supposed to be in bed and Jason rang me on the mobile to say the electricity had gone out. I heard Marcus in the background saying something about a fire and I told them to get out of the house."

Fire crews used thermal imaging cameras to check no one was trapped.

The top floor of the council home was left blackened in the blaze and many of the children's toys and belongings, including the beds, were destroyed.

Miss Stocker contacted the council's homeless department and was told it could offer her just one room.

She said: "It's impossible to expect four of us to live in one room. They said there was nothing they could do for the animals."

Miss Stocker said a council surveyor visited the house yesterday and said the family could carry on living in the house after some "redecoration."

She said her older son was suffering from nightmares after the fire.

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said: "A surveyor has been to check the property and found while two bedrooms have been damaged, it is safe to stay in the house while repairs are carried out.

"We expect one of the bedrooms to be fixed in a matter of weeks while the other may take longer as the damage is more severe. There is a chronic shortage of family-sized accommodation in Brighton and Hove and it is not possible to give Miss Stocker the immediate permanent transfer she is requesting.

"She has told us she does not wish to move into temporary accommodation."