A HOMELESS family say they have been sleeping in their car for over three months after their home was repossessed.

Newport mum Deborah Talbot, 41, said she thought that there would be help available to people who found themselves homeless, but has not been able to find accommodation.

So she, her partner Glyn Jones, 60, and their daughter, Rachel, 23 have been sleeping in the family car since losing their Newport home on July 7 after she lost her supermarket job and the family could no longer afford their mortgage repayments. The family say none of their friends are able to house them because they don't have the room.

The family use leisure centres to shower and store their bedding in lockers, and launderettes to wash their clothes. They eat pre-prepared food bought from shops.

Most of their possessions remain in their repossessed home in Coverack Road.

Miss Talbot said: “My partner is a taxi driver and uses the car for work, so during the day I just walk around with nowhere to go and spend a lot of time at the leisure centre.

“At night we park up somewhere quiet to sleep. It is starting to get cold but the sleeping bags have kept us warm, but it’s worrying as it is going to get colder.”

Also sharing space in the car are the family pets, Staffordshire bull terrier, Jake, two cats called Cassy and Macey and a cockatiel named Samuel.

Miss Talbot said that she has approached private landlords and has been bidding on properties on Newport City Homes, but believes that the pets have led to difficulties in finding a property.

However, she doesn’t want to let them go calling them “part of the family”. Some friends have helped by housing the animals during the day - but cannot keep them overnight.

Newport Council confirmed that Mrs Talbot applied under the homeless provisions in July after her home was repossessed, and after assessment, a decision letter was issued on July 17 that accepted she was homeless but not in priority need.

The spokeswoman added: “We will continue to offer her advice and support as she seeks rehousing.

“We do sympathise with anyone who is made homeless but there is a high demand for housing in the city.”

Miss Talbot explained that she had been paying the mortgage on the family home for 12 years, but after being made redundant from her full-time shelf stacking job, she was only able to find a part-time cleaning position.

She said: “With lack of money coming in, we began to struggle to keep everything paid.

“I can’t believe this has happened to us. No family deserves this. We are expected to sleep on the street.”

During the night the two cats sleep in a box and a bird in another, while the dog sleeps on a seat.