A COUNCIL tenant claims home improvements carried out by her landlord turned into a nightmare for her family.

Single parent Victoria Morgan-Beattie, of Mowbray Road, Catterick Village, says she was told the work would take between three and four weeks.

But ten weeks later, the improvements have only just been completed.

Landlords Richmondshire District Council began rewiring, installing heating and fitting new bathroom and kitchen suites in August.

The family was given temporary accommodation for about ten days at the beginning, but then had to return to the house.

Ms Morgan-Beattie, who has three young children, said builders left the house in an unacceptable state for weeks on end.

Workmen would turn up intermittently and left tools lying around in dangerous places, she added.

"It was a nightmare. I'm not saying it doesn't look nice because it does, but it wasn't worth it," she said.

Ms Morgan-Beattie, who asked Richmond MP William Hague and local district councillors for help, also claims the workmen failed to respect her privacy while working in her house.

In response, Colin Dales, the council's housing unit manager, said he was happy with the service provided by his staff.

He said all work other than the rewiring had been optional and Ms Morgan-Beattie had received money to pay for redecorating.

He blamed some of the delay on the tenant requesting a different colour of wall tile, adding: "It may look to the tenant that the workmen are going in willy-nilly, but this is not the case.

"The bulk of the work was completed in five weeks.

"We make it clear from the outset that the work will result in some mess and disturbance."

Mr Dales said he had found no evidence his staff had acted inappropriately.