A FAMILY’S crumbling house has been branded a health threat by their GP.

Tony Perry, 28, and partner Jodi Lake, 24, live in a three-bedroom home in Panfields, Laindon, with their two children.

A massive crack has developed in the front wall and the house, which is run by St Georges Community Housing, has previously suffered from a collapsed kitchen ceiling.

There are also plug sockets hanging off the walls and cupboards falling to pieces.

They showed the Echo a note from Dr Hindavis Sudhaker Rao, of the Dipple Medical Centre, in Wickford Avenue, Basildon, which warned the stress of living there is worsening Miss Lake’s manic depression.

Damp and draughts from the property also contributed to three-year-old daughter Elle’s asthma.

Son Kieran, six, has constant chest infections.

Miss Lake said: “Kieran spends half the night fretting his bedroom is going to collapse on top of him. It makes you want to cry.”

Mr Perry, a butcher for Morrisons, added his family has been told they will have to pay to stay at a hostel in Laindon for three weeks, while repairs to their collapsing front wall are carried out.

It will cost them around £160 a week, more than double the rent they currently pay.

They complained they will also have to pay taxi fares to get Kieran and Elle to their two different schools, and fork out for their dog Mia to be put in a kennel, as the hostel doesn't allow animals.

The family previously had to move out when the kitchen ceiling collapsed due to a water leak, on New Year’s Eve last year.

While St Georges re-plastered the ceiling, the family stayed in a hostel for more than a week, but continued paying their usual rent. St Georges was unable to respond in time to the Echo’s request for a comment on Mr Perry and Miss Lake’s situation.