RAGING parents say their ice-cold council house is "like a shed" - with their kids forced to "huddle in bed to stay warm".

       John Charles and Laura Waddingham have had to keep their children - aged between eight and 14 - off school because the "freezing cold" property in Birmingham made them ill.

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       John Charles and Laura Waddingham say their ice-cold council house is "like a shed" Credit: BPM 5

       They have had to keep their children off school because of the "freezing cold" property in Birmingham Credit: BPM

       Shortly after moving in in April 2019, the property was so icy - due to a cold draught and little insulation - the family huddled up in the living room to stay warm.

       And it hasn't improved since, with the couple's two daughters forced to sleep together in one bed to make the cold nights bearable.

       Laura said leaving the heating on all day doesn't help with the bitter draught, which has affected both her and John.

       She told BirminghamLive: "I feel lightheaded when I'm walking. But it's only when I walk far that I'll get that feeling.

       "And it's because of living here. I didn't have it before."

       John said being in the house is like "living in a shed".

       He added: "When I was sleeping in the bedroom I was suffering that bad I wanted to cry like a baby.

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       "I went up and down the stairs to try and sleep downstairs on my own, I couldn't get to sleep. I didn't know what to do."

       Laura said the kids' sleep has also been affected, with the youngsters waking up in the middle of the night due to the cold.

       The couple are desperate for Birmingham City Council to fix the issues. John said they don't want to move because of the kids' school.

       A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: "Our contractor painted the property in October and on another visit in November tried to carry out repairs and do a damp survey but was not granted access.

       "No damp was picked up when painting the property but clearly with the change in weather there has been damp incursion.

       "We are sorry for the impact that this has had on the tenants. We are working with them to resolve it and will ensure that it is treated as soon as possible."

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       Shortly after moving in in April 2019, the property was so icy the family huddled up in the living room to stay warm Credit: BPM 5

       The couple's two daughters are forced to sleep together in one bed to make the cold nights bearable Credit: BPM 5

       Laura said leaving the heating on all day doesn't help with the bitter draught Credit: BPM

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