A mum living in a council property with five children has shared a shocking video of a bird poking through the living room wall.

Lauren Burford is desperate for long-delayed repairs to be made to the home in St Andrews Close, Whitstable, where her toddler's bedroom "streams with water every time it rains".

She moved into the three-bed maisonette with her three children and two step-children - aged one to eight - in July to find a hole in the roof and birds nesting in her loft.

The 23-year-old says she immediately reported the issues to Canterbury City Council and housing provider Mears, but is still waiting to hear back four months later.

The city council has now apologised for the delays.

Miss Burford told KentOnline she came home from the school run recently and "had a bird flying around my front room".

The full-time mum says the dampness in the property is turning to mould and she is worried it could be affecting her one-year-old son's health.

"The hole in the roof is above my son's bedroom so he can't sleep in there any more because the back wall streams with water every time it rains," Miss Burford said.

"The dampness is turning into mould, we've been to the doctors with my son for breathing problems, and my daughter has asthma.

"The rain has been so heavy that the water was going down the wall and onto the carpet.

"It's on his drawers and if it doesn't get sorted soon, I'll have to replace all his clothes."

Miss Burford caught on camera the moment a bird was poking through her living room wall one evening. She fears they will carry on nesting unless something is sorted.

"I've been told I've got to wait until the end of the month for scaffolding to go up, but they said that last month and nothing happened," Miss Burford added.

"I've got to wait for a roofer but I live in a maisonette on the second floor, they won't get up there in this weather.

"I feel like I'm being fobbed off."

A spokesman for Mears told KentOnline on Friday that the company is "on the case".

"We have an order to repair the roof which is three storeys up and requires scaffolding and approval from the client - this appointment is on November 29," they said.

"The issue isn’t a hole in the roof - it looks like there is a tear in the felt causing water to come in.

"We have spoken to the resident today and we are sending someone round this evening to see if any temporary repair can be done from the inside.

"The resident was happy with this resolution for today and aware of the further works booked for November 29.

"We have no records of any issue with birds. We will ask our customer care person to speak with her on this on Monday when they call to follow up on the job this evening."

Canterbury City Council has now apologised for the time it has taken to fix the delays.

A spokesman told KentOnline: "We apologise to Miss Burford for the delays in addressing the issues at her home. It has taken longer than we would expect it to and we are sorry for that.

"Scaffolding is required to carry out the repairs needed to the roof and this is now booked in for November 29. Other work will also be taking place inside the property.

"We have been in contact with Miss Burford throughout this and she is aware of the appointments that are now planned."

But Miss Burford says the hole in the roof is getting bigger, the ceiling is coming away from the wall - and she no longer wants to live in the "unsafe" home.

She says the rain has "rotted" the property and she has been left with a high gas bill as she struggles to keep it warm.

Miss Burford added: "I want out of this property. It’s unsafe for us as a family."