A young single mother living miles away from her family and her young daughter’s nursery has slammed the council over the state of her “damp and dirty” flat which she says is infested with rats.

After leaving her rented flat in Ewell seven months ago, Sophie Humphrey, 21, appealed to the council to house her – being unable to work while taking care of her two-year-old daughter, she could not afford to rent again.

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Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, which provides bed and breakfast accommodation to households at risk of homelessness, ended up rehousing Ms Humphrey in Croydon, eight miles away from the borough.

Ms Humphrey claims rats have chewed thorough bread bags in her council flat in the Thornton Heath part of Croydon and she once saw a rat climb through her window after knocking over the clock in her kitchen.

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A spokesman for the council said it strives to rehouse residents in Epsom and Ewell but that at-risk people are occasionally accommodated in areas such as Croydon and Horley due to a lack of availability in the borough.

Ms Humphrey was rehoused again in June at another bed and breakfast in the same part of Croydon nearly 13 miles from Esher, where her family live and where her two-year-old daughter attends nursery.

She claims the new home is as damp and dirty as the first flat, and also has rat problems.

Despite immediately reporting the infestation to the council, no council offers have visited to carry out an inspection, Ms Humphrey said. She has also has seen dozens of residents be rehoused back within the borough and closer to loved ones.

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Ms Humphrey is now appealing to Elmbridge Borough Council to be put on its housing list.

A spokesman for Epsom and Ewell Borough Council said it could not respond to specific cases, but a growing demand for accommodation from homeless households was costing the council more than £1m a year.

The spokesman added: “We endeavour to move families back into the borough as soon as a suitable vacancy in temporary accommodation arises and try to prioritise anyone with special support needs.

“We currently have access to around 100 temporary accommodation properties within the borough for this need, which is proving to be insufficient. As a result, households, including families, are placed in areas such as Croydon and Horley. All such accommodation is regularly inspected to ensure its suitability and is specifically set up for homeless households, often offering self-contained accommodation.

“While this puts a roof over their heads, being so far away can lead to disruption in family life and complicates access to school, childcare and work, at a time which is already stressful. The Council Housing Services team work extremely hard to find alternative housing solutions for these households.

“We have been buying properties and working with third parties to increase provision within the Borough.”

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