THE Mason family uncovered a house of horrors when they started decorating their new home.

Now the council tenants from Tang Hall Lane fear they will be stuck in a house that is cracking up around them while they wait for work to take place on the property.

Pregnant Danni Mason, her husband, Peter, both 27, and their two children, aged two and four, moved into the house more than four months ago as part of a property exchange.

But when they started upgrading the property, they discovered cracks all over the floor and walls.

Mrs Mason said: "This house and our original house were checked over by the estate manager before the move happened. I trusted them and moved in.

"We had to decorate, and we were prepared to do that, because it was very old-fashioned and the carpet really had to go, especially with two young children,

"Bur once we started stripping the walls, we discovered these major cracks.

"We knew the house was badly decorated, but nothing that a bit of paint and a bit of money couldn't sort out - nothing like this.

"We rang the council up and they said not to decorate because it was a health and safety issue, but now they don't think they have got the money to do anything about it."

Mrs Mason said she had discovered that her neighbour's house had been underpinned a couple of years ago because of subsidence, but her house was not dealt with.

She said: "I can't decorate, I can't put a carpet down, I can't do anything and I've got two young kids with one on the way. I don't really know what to do."

A City of York Council spokeswoman said that regular checks would be made on the property, and if the situation worsened, the Masons should contact officers immediately.

She said: "All tenants who undertake a direct exchange do so knowing that they are accepting their new property as it stands and in the condition that it is in when they view it before agreeing to the exchange.

"As a landlord, we have to ensure that customers are aware of this before they exchange. It is unfortunately the case that people sometimes go ahead with an exchange and then raise faults that they have found.

"The property has been inspected by a surveyor since the exchange and the council is fully aware of the condition of the property.

"We agreed to review the condition of the property on a regular basis - to ensure that the cracks had not worsened - and the next review is scheduled for May."

Updated: 10:26 Monday, April 11, 2005