A promised kitchen refit postponed for four years has frustrated a council house tenant in the Swindon area.

Patricia Kent says all of the properties on her street in Highworth were fitted with new kitchens in 2019 because the old 1980s decor was becoming grotty and worn.

The 69-year-old has lived in the same home for 28 years and raised a family there but says she was unexpectedly taken off the refurb list as problems switching from housing benefit to her pension led to a late rent payment.

Since then, she claims each effort to rearrange the fitting has led nowhere, as local authority staff visit the house, measure everything, ask her to choose a colour for the decoration, and then never return to carry out the work.

Patricia says things came to a head last month when she spent days moving everything out of the kitchen with her son's help in preparation for the latest visit, which she thought would finally bring her a step closer to the kitchen she hoped for.

Instead, she alleges the handyman turned up to add new cabinet doors, looked at the cabinets, and said it would not be possible because the matching doors were no longer made.

Her living room is now completely full and she has no idea when or how this will be resolved.

She said: "I can't put everything back in case they return. I can't keep moving it all in and out of the kitchen again and again. What if this takes another year?

"I heard the handyman on the phone explaining that a full refit is needed, but the person on the other end kept trying to talk him out of it, and then he left.

"I've never had a proper kitchen floor either, it's bare concrete I painted green. I don't want to leave this house because I've spent a lot making it nice, especially the garden.

"If I had known the rent arrears would take me off the list, I would have borrowed money from a family member to pay it right away.

"This has made me very depressed and tired. I don't cook meals in the kitchen much now, it's all rotten, and a leak ruined the floor."

A council employee visited Patricia's home after the Adver got in touch.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesperson: “We don’t discuss individual cases in the media and are liaising directly with our tenant on this matter.

“We are committed to carrying out all necessary repairs to ensure our homes continue to meet the required standards.”