In what is set to be the coldest week of the winter so far, a mum-of-14 is having to live in a small, unheated caravan.

Tizzy Rose, who also has 72 grandchildren, says she had to move out of her privately-rented home in Sheerness after a mouse, rat and slug infestation left it uninhabitable.

After being unable to secure another tenancy elsewhere, the 78-year-old moved into a large, fully-furnished caravan, which she parked on a residential street.

However, when Swale council informed her she was flouting planning laws, she decided to move into a tent pitched in her friend’s back garden in Linden Drive, Sheerness, in May last year.

The widow spent the summer in this living arrangement, which involved using her pal’s facilities to wash and go to the loo every day.

But after cold weather made it impossible to remain outside, Mrs Rose was forced to move into a cramped trailer that has no toilet or washing facilities, is unheated and has just a hotplate for cooking.

This is in the back garden of the Linden Drive property.

She said: “I had to move out of the flat in Sheerness because it was completely infested with rodents and slugs, it was horrible.

“Now I’m here and all of my clothes are damp all the time from the leaking water and it’s affecting my health.

“The worst is not having a toilet – I’m old, I need the loo about three times a night.”

But the pensioner, who suffers from a raft of medical problems including Bell’s palsy, osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes, is still no nearer to getting her living situation resolved after numerous meetings with Swale council officers.

However, the local authority has pledged to get to the bottom of the situation and help the pensioner.

It said Mrs Rose had not informed them she was living outdoors at her registered postal address and therefore it did not make housing her a priority.

A spokesman said: “If someone becomes homeless, they should get contact our housing team with all the necessary information as a matter of urgency so we can help find suitable temporary accommodation until a permanent solution can be found.”

Mrs Rose now fears that unless somewhere can be found for her to live in the next few weeks, her health will deteriorate further.

She added: “Last night was so cold I had to get up and put coats on. I shouldn’t be in this situation.”