ALL I want is a home fit to raise my kids in... a desperate mum-of-four claims to be trapped in squalid living conditions with no heating, cooking facilities or lights in her kiddies’ bedroom.

Beverley O’Donnell has been living in a privately rented house on Waterland Lane, Parr for the last 12 months without a working cooker, heating and hot water. Lights in the kitchen, the children’s bedroom and landing don’t work and none of the doors lock.

The back garden is filled with the previous owner’s rubbish despite Beverley’s best efforts to get rid of it.

The only internal fitted door is in the living room, which she said is damaged. And each night she has to fasten rope to the front door handle to prevent anyone bursting in.

All five had to endure the worst winter in 30 years in a freezing house huddled round one radiator.

The 28-year-old said: “I have explored every avenue, but no one seems to help me. My five-year-old has a bad chest and because of the damp we always have colds and sniffles.

“I have tried to contact the landlady at a number of addresses, but I can’t track her down. At one point I didn’t pay the £115 a week rent and was done for rent arrears.

At the end of her tether, Beverley admitted she was desperate for help. She has carried out several repairs in the house and has laid a carpet.

Exhausted, she said: “We have to go to my mum’s for a wash and she lives on the other side of Parr. And because the landing light doesn’t work, my brother fell downstairs and broke his hip.

“We’ve got nowhere else to go. I have one sister with four kids, one who also has four kids and three adopted and mum is a carer to our brother. She has offered to put us up and always brings us hot meals, but we can’t.

“I have been on Helena Housing’s books for seven months, but they keep asking for paperwork from the landlady that I can’t get.”

St Helens Council states that they have powers to prosecute landlords.

This could be from failing to provide rent books to ensuring that the water, gas or electricity supplies are reconnected.