A family of nine desperate for more space has been urged to live in two separate houses - on opposite sides of the same road.

The novel solution to the family's plight was suggested by Bradford Council after John Rea, 55, was diagnosed as suffering from terminal lung cancer.

At the moment, the former chemical worker is forced to sleep on a sofa with his wife Wendy while their seven children share the semi-detached home's three bedrooms.

Mr Rea, whose children are aged between five and 18, has lived in the house in Erskine Parade, Woodside, for the past 12 years. But now he needs more space to help him cope with the discomfort caused by the illness.

The Council's unusual suggestion took the family by surprise.

They had insisted on staying within the same area but the Council was unable to find them a bigger house locally.

Mrs Rea, 39, said she was flabbergasted by the suggestion.

"I think it would be too much for Christopher to be responsible for the others and it wouldn't be fair," she said.

"We don't want to split up and I think we should stay in this area. The children are facing enough problems without having to move and go to different schools.

"John and I have to sleep downstairs, but he is no longer able to get to the bathroom. He needs a proper bedroom and some privacy and so do the kids."

And Mrs Rea said the couple had not set out deliberately to have a large family. "The children have come along and we love and enjoy them."

A spokesman from the Council's housing department said: "One of the novel ways the housing office came up with to help this family was to see if they were interested in the older children living across the road from the family home.

"The idea would be to provide help through a support agency for the young people which would help them with such things as how to manage their bills.

"The aim was to relieve pressure on the family home and, at the same time, keep family members living as near as possible to each other."

The Council had looked at a number of options including assistance from housing associations and being transferred to larger Council accommodation - but that is in short supply.

"The Council has, on occasions, accommodated large families by combining two properties into one, but this family is very specific about the area they wish to live in and we are finding it extremely difficult to obtain suitable properties to convert," the spokesman said.

"We will continue to seek ways to resolve the family's acute housing needs."