A Harold Hill mother and her four children have been living without hot water or heating "for four months", they say.

The 27-year-old, who wishes not to be named, claims she called Havering Council "numerous" times about the faulty boiler over the period, but the authority says it was only alerted to the issue last week.

The children, aged four to eight, have had to wear coats inside while the problem persisted, their mother said.

She said: "We have had no hot water or heating for four months.

“Now the weather has changed drastically and the temperature has dropped, it’s just not acceptable."

A Havering Council spokesperson claims the authority was first made aware of the issue on September 28.

They said since then, it has “acted quickly" to arrange a new boiler with the landlord.

“We have also provided temporary heaters in the meantime,” they said, and aim to resolve issues as “quickly as possible” to ensure every resident “feels comfortable and safe in their home”.

The mum of four said she hopes to have a new boiler fitted before Christmas.