EVERY day, in all types of weather, Marc Thompson has to carry his baby son wrapped only in a towel, out of his damp flat, down a flight of steps, through a wind tunnel alley to wash him in a shower shared by five households.

Marc and his family are homeless, and living in accommodation provided by Craven District Council until a council house can be found for them.

They have been staying at Aireview House, Broughton Road, Skipton, for almost year, but say the premises should be "shut down".

Marc said that for three months over Christmas they were without heat as the boiler had broken, and, to avoid the damp, they have been told to pull their belongings away from the walls.

For a shared shower and a one bedroom flat with a kitchen-come-living-room, Marc and his wife, Charlotte, pay £74 a week. They receive no help with the cost as Marc is working full time.

Neighbours Lynsey and John Quayle, with their children Shannon and Joshua, also have a one-bedroom flat. At night, the four of them squeeze into their bedroom which just fits in a double bed, bunk beds and a cot.

They have been at the shelter for about 10 months. Lynsey has spent most of this time trying to get some improvements.

She said the walls were damp, her smoke alarms did not work, and only one out of six outside security lights worked. There is nowhere to wash their clothes and the only place for the children to play is a small gravel yard.

The rent on their flat is £81.90 a week - they pay £33 and housing benefit makes up the rest.

"The council is not doing repairs like it should. It is not suitable for children. I know it is a homeless hostel but it is not fit. It needs closing down," said Lynsey.

David Allison, from the housing department at Craven District Council, said the security lights had been repaired once but someone would be sent out to look at them again.

He added if Mrs Quayle had reported that her smoke alarms were not working someone would repair them as soon as possible.

He admitted that there was a problem with damp in one flat but said that in the others, the problems were caused by condensation, not damp.

The Quayles and the Thompsons are in two of five flats behind the main house. To wash they have to brave the elements to use a communal shower as their flats only have a sink and toilet.

The children sit on the shower's stone floor while they are washed. They are then wrapped in a towel and taken back to the flat to be dried as the cubicle is too small to dress them there.

Mr Allison agreed the washing facilities were not ideal but said there was not enough money to put showers in each flat.

He said that over recent years money had been invested in improving the heating systems, installing new doors and windows and re-roofing the house.