A YORK mother-of-four, who says she is living in the "council house from hell", is worried her children could be seriously injured if her home is not repaired.

Jennifer Angle-Smith moved into the three-bedroomed semi-detached council house in Barstow Avenue, off Lawrence Street, York, in December. But within days of moving in, she said the house started to fall apart at the seams.

Now she says she wishes she'd stayed in her old council house in Kirkham Avenue, off Huntington Road.

Her catalogue of complaints include a hole in the living room floor, a collapsing ceiling, unstable kitchen units, wobbly floorboards, and doors which come away from the walls.

Mrs Angle-Smith said: "I have spent three months living in sheer hell. Everything just seems to fall to bits.

"Every time I close a door a bit more of the ceiling falls down. Part of one of the doors has fallen on me and my children are always falling down the stairs as there is no stair-rail."

Her main fear is that her four children, aged between eight and 13, might be in danger.

She said: "The house isn't safe and I'm worried one of my children will have to get hurt before something is done.

"I had no idea about any of these problems when I moved in," she said.

"No one should have to live like this."

She said when she contacted City of York Council they told her they would carry out the repairs on the house.

Unemployed Mrs Angle-Smith, who is divorced, believed she would have to pay for the repair bill - about £3,000.

But the council said she would not face a repair bill.

A spokesman said: "Our surveyor went out to look at this property last month and we have made a list of the work, including replastering, which needs doing, which is quite extensive.

"However, there has never been any suggestion that the current tenant would have to pay for these repairs although, if we establish that the previous tenants were at fault, we will bill them for any repairs, which is standard procedure."

He added that they would visit Mrs Angle-Smith this week to explain the situation and put her mind at ease.

Updated: 15:31 Wednesday, March 19, 2003