A FAMILY of six bursting at the seams in a two bed home say they faced being made homeless as there were no council houses available at their time of need.

Michael Dawes has hit out at the housing situation in Tendring after being told council couldn't find them a new home when their landlord died.

He and wife Ria moved to Clarkes Road in Dovercourt with their six-month-old son George in 2015 with her other two children aged 18 months and three visiting at weekends.

But in October 2016 their second son Freddie was born by emergency caesarean at just 29 weeks into the pregnancy after concerns he wasn't growing.

He weighed just 888 grams and spent the first year of his life in different hospitals suffering severe blood poisoning and having part of his infected stomach removed.

When he came home in August last year, Freddie was being fed through a tube and was later diagnosed with a short gut and bowel making it hard for him to keep weight on, and global development delay.

Michael, 33, said: "He has hypermobility, he can't want and doesn't speak and he will be two this month.

"He has recently been for an MRI scan and we are waiting for the analysis and diagnosis, but were told he more than likely has some sort of palsy."

Just after Freddie came home the family were told their landlord had died and the house would be going into probate.

They registered for council housing and were given a band b rating due to Freddie's condition and a lack of space.

But Michael said the situation then deteriorated at New Year when the father of Ria's other two children, Reilly and Reggie, died.

He said: "We had my wife's other two sons staying and received a knock on the door from the police saying their father was fighting for his life in hospital.

"Two days later he tragically died.

"Having four children in a two bedroom house is a nightmare, especially when one has additional needs.

"We have three boys in one room and Freddie sleeps in our room.

"We our now at risk of being with out home so I went back to the council to see if they could offer us housing who then told us they have no housing to offer us." Michael said they were offered help to cover the cost of privately renting but said a lot of landlords don't accept people on benefits and have been unable to find anywhere suitable for their family.

He added: "We had a real risk of being homeless or stuck in a hotel or bed and breakfast.

"But the hospital said Freddie can't go into temporary accommodation - they wrote to the council to say he needs his own space.

"We are worried sick, I've got four children and don't know what to do.

"I want to keep them safe and a roof over their heads but I couldn't and it's a horrible feeling."

The family yesterday managed to secure a private home to rent, but Michael said the lack of council homes and discrimination against people on benefits was leaving families in crisis.

He added: "I find it disgusting how we have been treated after everything we have been through."

A Tendring Council spokesman said the authority was aware of the family’s plight, and was working with them to find suitable accommodation.

He added: “Though we do not comment on individual cases, I can confirm we are supporting this family to prevent them from becoming homeless.

“We are exploring different options including assisting them into a new private rental home.”