A YOUNG mother and her family are still waiting to be allowed back into their own home more than two months after they were moved out because of problems with damp and asbestos.

Teresa Jackson was moved out of her flat in Catshill in February and was told repairs would be completed in two weeks. But the 25-year-old has now been "living out of boxes" in temporary accommodation for more than eight weeks.

"I want to get back to my flat as soon as I can," she said.

"We haven't known what's going on from one day to the next. The children are confused about it all. I'm fed up with living out of boxes. I just want a home I can call a home and my son can call a home."

A taxi has been laid on each day by Bromsgrove District Council to take Teresa from the temporary home in Churchfields to her job at the Oaks residential home in Catshill and her son Nathan, aged four, to nursery in the same area.

Her partner Andrew Lakins has also been enduring the temporary arrangements and so have his two children Thomas, aged five and eight-year-old Charlotte, at weekends. Teresa and Andrew complained about their living conditions in Catshill in June of last year.

Action was finally taken in February and they were moved out for the damp to be cleared and white asbestos rendered safe.

"I keep trying to find out what's happening and I'm not told anything," Teresa said. "I'm very upset and I want some answers."

Head of housing at Bromsgrove District Council, Andy Cole, said specialised contractors had now been into the flat and dealt with the asbestos.

He said that whenever asbestos is involved, the Health and Safety Executive first has to be notified. It took until the end of last week for their clearance to come through.

"As soon as clearance was given, contractors went in and dealt with the problem," he said. "It had been caused by damp running down the walls and making the asbestos unstable.

"Now that's been dealt with, the rest of the work will be carried out as quickly and efficiently as possible."

He said the family could probably move back into the flat within the next three weeks.