A bereaved woman has blasted Merton Council for not rehousing her after her mother was killed in the family home.

Jill Grinsted was beaten and strangled to death at the house she shared with her daughter Lucille in Laburnum Avenue, Colliers Wood, in February.

Ms Grinsted, 37, has been staying with friends since her mother's death, and claims that she has been "passed from pillar to post" as she tries to find a new home.

She has now been told to join the main queue for council housing, although her claim has been placed in the highest priority category.

She said: "The way I've been treated is disgraceful. I didn't expect everything to be handed to me on a plate, but they should be more understanding."

Lucille's father Dennis, who had separated from Jill but remained close to her and their children, said that the delay was stopping his daughter from rebuilding her life.

"All they have offered her is promises - we just don't know where to turn," he said.

Linda Scott, the council's cabinet member for housing, adult care and health, said: "Following the tragic death of her mother earlier this year, Merton Council have given Lucille Grinsted advice on housing options and due to her circumstances, we have been sympathetic to her needs and put her in a priority group for re-housing."

The council added that Lucille had not been staying in the Laburnum Avenue property at the time of her mother's death, although she had named it as her main home.

Jill Grinsted was beaten and strangled to death in her home on February 21 this year. The police were called to the house the following morning when neighbours noticed its front door open and a window smashed.

Christopher McMahon, a 37-year-old man who lived in the same street, was later arrested and charged with her murder. He pleaded not guilty, and will appear for trial at the Old Bailey in November.