Mouldy walls, a leaking ceiling, and a ripped-off smoke detector are making life difficult for a Swindon man with additional needs.

Swindon Borough Council moved Dennis McNamee into the Sheppard Street flat at the start of the month which was below a room that had burned down last year.

The local authority says it is working on repairs and will temporarily re-home Mr McNamee elsewhere until the issues are resolved.

Due to the fire damage caused to the flat above his, water leaks onto his bed, the walls of the bedroom and bathroom are covered in mould, and the smoke detector on the ceiling is broken.

The 58-year-old said: “The housing officer just suggested that I move my bed, but there’s nowhere to move it.

“The windowsill fills up with water when it rains, even when it’s closed. I try to keep it open as much as possible because the smell of the damp is so strong otherwise.

“The floor is also soaked. If you put anything down on the floor, it’ll get damp. All that was in this room when I arrived was the bed.

“I pay hundreds of pounds a week to live here, I’ve lived in similar accommodation before – but this is the worst so far - and I think of other people who are in the same situation, it’s not right.”

Mr McNamee claims that, in the house’s communal kitchen which is shared by the supported housing tenants, cooking food in the oven always triggers the fire alarm, one of the residents had to buy their own washing machine, and he had to buy a microwave and cutlery.

He used to live in Highworth before going into council-arranged supported living but claims that his mental health needs have not been met at any of the properties he’s been housed in so far.

He has emotional issues and struggles with depression, has COPD affecting his chest, and has Raynaud’s syndrome in his hands and feet.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “We always encourage our tenants, or those who require our support, to speak to us directly rather than seek resolution through the media.

“This is a very complex situation, but we are doing all we can to help Mr McNamee.

“Arrangements have already been made to move him to an alternative room, so repairs can be made to his current emergency accommodation.”