An expectant dad says he has been living in a freezing flat for more than four months due to a broken window in his bathroom.

Andrew Samways from Sheerness has been forced to sofa-surf during the winter months and says it is uninhabitable for his pregnant girlfriend.

The block of flats along The Esplanade is run by housing association The Hyde Group.

On Monday, August 28, the couple were painting the bathroom and opened the window to get some air in.

The window then came out of its frame and fell to the ground – thankfully avoiding anyone below.

Andrew’s partner Billie-Su called Hyde, asking for it to be replaced. A repairman was sent to the property a couple of days later.

She said: “He fixed the toilet because it had been leaking. At the same time he took measurements for the window, but apparently it was never logged on the system.

“They said it wasn’t classed as an emergency because it was on the top floor.”

The window was boarded up and has been left for more than four months.

Hyde has confirmed it will be sending out someone to install a replacement after KentOnline approached them for a comment.

Andrew says the plywood is covered in mould and is letting in a cold draft. He is now worried the flat won’t be suitable for a newborn.

The 26-year-old says he has experienced multiple problems with the property since February 2019.

Billie-Su currently lives with her mum, but hopes to move in as they are expecting their first child together.

We have waited for a baby for so long and I feel like I should be enjoying it, but I'm just sad all the time,” Andrew said.

“I’m stuck in a place that I don't want to live in and it's horrible.

“I have spoken to Hyde and said that I'm not happy here. They told me I would need a tenancy exchange.

“Who in their right mind is going to want to swap with me, especially with the current condition of the flat?”

The winter months have resulted in Andrew sofa-surfing because the flat is too cold to live in.

“It doesn’t help that we are right on the seafront,” he explained. “We get a draft through the front door and now also one from the bathroom.

“The only warm place is my bedroom. I've pretty much spent the last five months locked in there.”

Andrew also makes regular trips to the leisure centre – where Billie-Su works as a lifeguard – to use their showers.

He says the situation is “not ideal”, but is better than trying to use the bathroom.

“It's a bit embarrassing when you've got to go in on days when she’s not at work,” he added. “There's a little pulley heater in the bathroom, but without a window it's completely pointless.”

The couple have rung the housing association regularly since the incident, but claim they never hear back.

They have also contacted Citizens Advice and Environmental Health.

There are a number of storage heaters in the property, but Andrew says they don’t work very well. He is struggling to afford heating and relies on a portable heater to keep his bedroom warm.

Andrew is unemployed and suffers from severe anxiety and depression.

Billie-Su said: “The last four months have been hell dealing with these issues. It’s been a real struggle to keep him in a good place.

“I am shocked any housing association would treat someone this way.”

A spokeswoman for Hyde said: “We’d like to apologise for the delay in fixing the broken window in our customer’s bathroom.

“The window is in a tricky location, and there have been challenges with accessing the window and erecting suitable scaffolding on the land next our customer’s home.

“We’ve visited our customer today and have been able to measure up for a replacement window. We’ve also booked another appointment with our customer to install the window, and will be using suitable scaffolding.”