A DISABLED man and his wife are living in a tent in their garden in protest at a council ruling which declared their home unfit to live in.

Wheelchair-bound Victor Holt, 61, and his wife Marilyn, 57, were re-housed by Burnley Council after their home in Partridge Hill Street, Padiham, was gutted by fire four months ago.

But they claim threats of violence and rape from youths near the council house in Adlington Street, Burnley, have forced them to return home'.

They cannot go inside the Padiham property, which they own but had not insured, because it has been sealed off as unsafe after the fire.

So the couple, along with their frail 15-year-old dog Ted, have now lived in the two-man tent outside, without toilet, washing or cooking facilities, for a week.

Mr Holt has not been able to leave the tent since he moved in - his wheelchair has to be left outside and he said it is corroding in bad weather.

His wife said she was forced to buy clean clothes from charity shops every morning, and visit public conveniences to empty the containers they are using as toilets.

Inside the tent, they have only a radio, donated by a neighbour, and a container for Mr Holt's medication. Mrs Holt fills a vacuum flask with hot water from a town centre cafe every morning.

Burnley Council said it was doing everything it could to help the couple, and urged them to return to the house they were provided with.

Housing staff said they had been forced to close off the house because ceilings were close to collapse and could kill anyone who entered.

But Mr Holt, a former builder who has been left unable to walk because of an abscess on his spine, said: "We are too petrified to go back to that area because my wife was threatened with rape and I was threatened with violence.

"We spoke to the police but they can't really do anything.

"My son Christopher is still there and he is still having all sorts of trouble with his bins being set on fire and more threats from the hooligans.

"I have lived in Padiham all my life and owned that house since 1987. I am willing to stay in this tent rather than go back to Adlington Street."

The couple are both on benefits but have agreed a loan to rebuild their home, but instead they may have to sell the property so that they can move into a new home as soon as possible.

They claim they have been placed at the bottom of the list for housing because Mrs Holt, who suffers from bipolar disorder (manic depression), was served with an Anti-Social Behaviour Order four years ago to curb threatening behaviour.

Mr Holt said: "We are not dossers - all we want to do is get in the house, get enough of it straight so that we can live there and get it back done up.

"I don't want to sell the house but it looks like we're going to have to because we can't live like this for the rest of our lives.

"It's August at the moment so it's not cold but everything is damp because of the rain - it's disgusting, everything in here is absolutely sopping wet through and it's making my legs very painful."

Mrs Holt added: "It's obviously getting to me but I'm just having to put up with it because what else can you do?

"It's a battle of wills between us and the council now but we will not give up and we will not go back to the house they put us in. We really would rather be here."

Mike Cook, director of regeneration and housing at Burnley Council, said: "Burnley Council is doing everything it can to support Mr and Mrs Holt and has been for some time.

"Their house is unsafe following a fire so we cannot allow them back into house - ceilings could collapse; it could seriously hurt or kill anyone who enters.

"We have provided suitable alternative temporary accomm-odation, but Mr and Mrs Holt, due to claims of anti-social behaviour, left.

"We are working very hard on hygiene issues and ways to make their house safe, but are not receiving co-operation from the Holts.

"We urge them to return to their temporary accommodation, where their two sons remain, for their own health and safety.

"We urge the Holts to co-operate with us and with other agencies to receive the full support necessary in order to get them back into suitable living accommodation."