A HOMELESS family of six are pleading for help from housing bosses after waiting more than two-and-a-half years for accommodation.

A married couple with four children below 16 have been forced to live in a homeless hostel in Warminster since being evicted from Westbury in 2002.

Last week, the couple's 14-year-old daughter was rushed to hospital after trying to commit suicide by overdosing on headache pills.

Now the mother of the four teenage children is demanding housing bosses to find them a family home before their lives are torn apart.

The family live together in a three-bedroom bungalow at Hillside but do not wish for their names to be made public.

The mother said: "I thought we could handle it as we are a very close family and myself and my husband muddle through as best we can.

"But when your daughter tries to take her own life it wakes you up and I now realise the impact this was having on all my children.

"They have no social life whatsoever, we have lots of family in Westbury and need to go back home."

The family heard before Christmas they were in line to get a four-bedroom home in Westbury but the bid has fallen through.

Now the desperate parents are pleading with housing bosses to end their two-and-a-half year nightmare.

She said: "We were so excited when we heard but last week it all fell through and the kids were devastated. Nobody else has lived here as long as us and it is unacceptable.

"A few years ago there was good community spirit at Hillside but now it is full of drug users and undesirables. We never leave the children in the house on their own because we fear for their safety."

The 42-year-old mother works 50 hours a week to keep the family together and spends £85 a week on rent. She said: "If anything this ordeal has brought the family closer together, we really do look after each other.

"But after what happened to my daughter something has to be done. We can't carry on like this.

"I'm not saying the district council is not trying to help us its just that it hasn't been able to help. I haven't been offered a house for two-and-a-half years. Surely this is some kind of record."

West Wiltshire District Council runs the Hillside hostel and claims families are only rehoused when suitable properties can be found.

A spokesman said: "The client has asked for a four-bedroom property in a very specific location and no such home has become vacant. We even tried advertising for a suitable property, but without success.

"We are continuing our efforts to find a home for this family and can assure them that they have absolute priority as soon as a suitable house becomes available."