Milton Keynes family of 10 slate council over claims their five bedroom home is not big enough

Arnold Mballe Sube and his wife, Jeanne, moved to Luton from France in 2012, so that he could study mental health nursing at the University of Bedfordshire.

Both aged 33, they have eight children and their youngest daughter is just three weeks old.

After living in a hotel for almost four months, the Sube family were placed in temporary accommodation by Luton Borough Council, over the border in Bletchley, Milton Keynes.

Arnold said: “Me and my family have been neglected, we are living in a three bedroom house and there’s not enough room for us to live - they’re ten of us.

“It’s so cramped and the conditions are terrible, my children are starting school and we can’t stay here any longer.

“We need a bigger house so that we’re not living out of just three rooms.”

A Luton Borough Council spokesperson, said: “Housing stock in Luton, along with many authorities, is under constant pressure and on occasions we may have to accommodate families temporarily outside of Luton.

“Despite the difficulties we have managed to find Mr and Mrs Sube affordable housing in Luton that is large enough to house them and their eight children. We hope that they will accept it.”

However, after viewing a new, five bedroom house, the Subes also turned down the property due to a lack of storage space.

Arnold added: “We were invited to look at a five bedroom house, but we could not move into it because there wasn’t enough wardrobe or storage space for the things of ten people, it didn’t even have a dining room.

“The council is trying to make things hard for us and we really feel like nothing is being done; my wife is a full-time mother and I am a student, we need a house that we can all fit in.

“They’re just making excuses, we need a five or six bedroom house with double rooms to fit our family in.”

The council spokesman added: “Housing stock in Luton, is under constant pressure and on occasions we may have to locate families temporarily outside of Luton. Despite difficulties we managed to find Mr and Mrs Sube affordable housing in Luton that is large enough to house them and their eight children.

“After a generous offer on our part, we have done our bit and if housing is offered and declined without, what we judge, good reason, then we will offer the property to another family.”