A single mum has been advised to live in a hostel because a housing trust is taking weeks to replace the front door of her flat.

Mum-of-three Chantell Hainsworth, 27, and her children, Luke, five, Jessica, eight, and Aimee, nine, have been living with a metal shutter in place of the door while Bradford Community Housing Trust (BCHT) orders a new one.

The door needed replacing at the house in Festival Avenue, Windhill, Shipley, after police broke it down when they became concerned for Miss Hainsworth's safety. They had received an anonymous hoax telephone call that she had collapsed inside her home.

After the incident Miss Hainsworth was advised to shelter in a hostel until a permanent door was fitted but after staying for one night she returned to her home.

She said: "BCHT said it had to get the door from their manufacturers, so they put a metal shutter on and said I should go to a hostel to wait, but it's coming up to Christmas and it was my son's fifth birthday at the weekend so why should I be driven out?

"The hostel is in Idle and my children go to school in Frizinghall, I can't make that journey twice a day. The staff there were great but it's not where I want my children to be."

She said life behind the metal door was barely tolerable.

"The gap at the top is at least six inches, the children have been crying because they think someone will be able to get in so I've been sleeping downstairs.

"I'm having problems with the post because there isn't a letterbox. We had a fire last year and I'm worried if there was another no-one would be able to get in.

"I'm not going to stand here and accept it, I have got to put my children first. The door should have been here within days, it's appalling."

Yesterday, a spokesman for the Trust said: "Following the incident an order was placed to manufacture and fit a replacement high-specification uPVC door.

"As the door has to be individually made to measure for the property it takes time to complete the work. The new door is due to be fitted on December 11. There is no cost to the tenant.

"Miss Hainsworth has been advised that she should not stay at her home until we have fitted her new door. We have advised her it would be in her best interests to either move into temporary accommodation, which the trust will provide, or stay with a relative or friend."

Miss Hainsworth said her family was based in Halifax and staying with them would mean her children would not be able to get to school.

Councillor Vanda Greenwood (Lab, Windhill and Wrose), a member of the Shipley local trust management team, said: "I think that's unacceptable to leave a young woman like that in a hostel just because of the way the door has to be ordered.

"I can't see how it takes that long, aren't all doors a standard size? I will get on to the housing trust and get this sorted. I know they have been working really hard to improve their customer service but this is unacceptable, no question."

Councillor Phil Thornton (Windhill and Wrose, Lab) said: "It's appalling treatment of a clearly vulnerable family. She needs support and proper assistance. I can go to any double glazing company and get a door within days, this is clearly an emergency."