The family of a desperately-ill boy are battling more heartbreak after their dream home was ravaged by a freak fire caused by an MP3 music player.

The Mullaney family were told by fire officers that the fire at their specially-adapted home was caused by a portable music device overheating after it had been left charging at the house.

The device has now been handed over to Trading Standards investigators by the parents of little Zak, who suffers from a rare condition that means he is unable to swallow and needs constant care and attention.

The fire gutted the living room of the house, which had been adapted to cope with 11-year-old Zak's condition, and there was serious smoke damage to the rest of the house.

It has also wrecked the work on a "safe room" that was being built for Zak so that he did not injure himself during episodes where he became distressed.

The fire has devastated Gordon, 34, and Simone, 36, Mullaney and left them £25,000 out of pocket - and without a roof over their heads until emergency repairs are carried out.

The couple, who were in Blackpool at the time celebrating their wedding anniversary, said their plight has had a dire effect on Zak.

Zak, who is Simone's son from a previous relationship, is on oxygen 24 hours a day and has to be drip-fed through a tube because he cannot eat.

"He's in a terrible state. He keeps saying - fire, house, why? We can't bring him home until everything's back to normal. He understands we've had a fire but he doesn't know that all his things in the front room were wiped out - we didn't have house contents insurance, we couldn't afford it," said Mr Mullaney who works at Bradford City FC.

As well as essential medical equipment being destroyed, including nebulisers and saturation monitors which feed him oxygen, Zak has also lost his TV, his computer, its games and PlayStation 2.

"He would be distraught if he knew it all. Zak can't do much but he enjoys these things. Everything in that front room was his, not ours. The consequences for Zak would be dire if he saw all this destruction," added Mr Mullaney who is now hoping Telegraph & Argus readers will rally round to help get replacements for his step-son who is a pupil at Greenfield Special School in Idle.

Mr and Mrs Mullaney, the family's two older children Daniel, 17, and 15-year-old Paula who lost all her GCSE coursework in the blaze, are staying in temporary accommodation until Halifax-based housing association Nayshaman gives them the all-clear to move back in.

The family had been thrilled two years ago when they first moved into the house in New Lane, Laisterdyke, which was designed and built especially round Zak's needs.

Because he needs round-the-clock care, Bradford Social Services found him a place at St Stephen's Respite Unit in West Bowling but his weary parents are still having to look after him through the night - despite their recent trauma and exhaustion from it.

"We are completely and utterly worn out by it all. We're racing round trying to get everything sorted out as fast as we can, it's really strenuous. We are struggling to cope on a night but we are so drained we can't think about looking after Zak properly. We want the best for him but really need social services to give us complete respite until the house is ready again. We've asked for it but as yet they haven't given it."

"A Bradford Council Children's Services spokesman said: "Our Social Services team has supported Zak and his family since they came to Bradford in 1999.

"Since the house fire we have done has much as we can to help Zak and the family. We have linked up with other agencies to achieve this.

"This has resulted in finding the family temporary accommodation through our Access to Housing section. We are just waiting for British Gas to connect the gas supply so they can move in.

"We have also negotiated for specialist equipment in the house for Zak.

"Zak has been given respite care and a specialist agency worker cares for him on alternate nights to give his family a break. From tonight Zak will receive an additional four nights of overnight respite care from his Short Breaks Shared Care Carer to give his family a complete break.

"We feel that these arrangements give the family some time out at the same time as allowing them to spend time with Zak and we will continue to offer them as much support as we can under these difficult circumstances."