A PROTEST was being staged at a York housing office today amid claims that a family of four are being forced to share the same bed.

Mother-of-two Alison Coles, 22, says she and her partner, Alan Harris, were moved into a first-floor flat in Invicta Court, Foxwood, more than three years ago, but since then they have had two children - Jersey, two, and Ebony, four-and-a-half months.

She claims they are all forced to sleep in the same double bed because of a lack of space in the one-bedroom flat, and have repeatedly asked the council to move them.

Alison's father, Darryl Coles, 38, is so disgusted with delays in moving them elsewhere, that he hung a protest banner on the window of City of York Council's Acomb housing office, which read: "Give our family a home."

Alison said one of her children recently wet the bed, so they had to spend the night on the sofa and floor.

"It has been a total nightmare," said Alison, who says she needs to be rehoused in Acomb so she can be near her sick mother.

"There is not even any room to put up a cot. But the council just keeps telling us to wait our turn.

"It's causing a real strain in my relationship and I've been suffering depression because of it all. It's not healthy to have a baby sleeping on a bed."

Daryl said making today's poster protest was the "last resort" in persuading housing chiefs to move his daughter. "It's absolutely disgusting for this to happen in this day and age," he said. "It's not a good family environment to be in.

"I know people who have got houses after being on the waiting list for only six months."

Alison said: "I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall."

A spokeswoman for City of York Council said: "Unfortunately, the shortage of affordable homes in the city - especially family-sized ones - means that tenants can wait a long time for suitable accommodation.

"We are aware of Ms Coles's requirements, including that of needing to live close to her sick mother, and are working to ensure these are met.

"We will, of course, contact her as soon as we have a home to offer her."

Updated: 11:00 Friday, June 11, 2004