Three families have thanked the �Recorder after it made �Havering Council housing �officers see the light over house swap.

The families had planned to swap council homes but were initially refused due to “undercrowding”.

But after being contacted by the Recorder, the council �finally allowed the moves to go ahead.

Chelsea Gage, 23, of Warley Hill in Brentwood, lives with her two young children in a one-bedroom flat.

She planned to upscale to the two-bedroom flat of Paul Millrain, 30, and Kat Stoller, 28, who is pregnant, who live with their two youngsters in Borsley Gardens, Harold Hill.

The couple planned to move into a three-bedroom house in Straight Road, Harold Hill, occupied by a woman in her 60s who did not wish to be named. The woman would move into Chelsea’s flat.

The families, all desperate to move, met through a house swap website. They were thrilled to find their housing woes matched perfectly but were blocked by Havering Council.

Chelsea, who has to sleep on a sofa bed with her one-year-old and the fridge in the same room, said: “This has made my life complete.

“Now my kids can have their own room. They can play in the garden and I don’t have to sleep on the sofa.

“I’m so grateful. We all are. Thank you Romford Recorder!”

Havering’s cabinet member for housing, Cllr Lesley Kelly, said: “We have had a another look at this case and considering the circumstances of the three households it makes perfect sense for this three- way swap to go ahead.”