A CAMBORNE family of six stuck in a tiny flat are highlighting what they see as a shortage of social housing for larger families.

Carly and Jamie Williams and their four children live in a two-bedroom flat in Camborne, having been on the waiting list for a larger property for a year.

Baby Leah, five months, sleeps in the same room as her mum and dad, while Macauly, 13, Tai, 8, and Alfie 2, share the other bedroom.

Mrs Williams said: "It's really frustrating. Some days I don't even want to come home because there's nothing for the children to do, no space for them to play.

"The kitchen is so small that we can't all sit in there.

"We should be able to sit together as a family to eat and discuss what the day's been like.

"Macauly doesn't even have a quiet space where he can do his home work."

The family have been offered a couple of larger properties further up the county, but want to stay locally as Mr Williams works in Redruth and Macauly attends Camborne Science and International Academy.

Mrs Williams said: "We know there are people worse off than us. We know we are lucky to have a roof over our head.

"But what we don't understand is why all the new homes being built seem to be one and two bedrooms."

Mr Williams added: "There are some three and four-bedroom properties being built, but we've been told they're not big enough for a family with four children."

Cornwall Council said it recognised the needs of larger families and the pressure caused by overcrowding, but added: "However, only 4.3 per cent of applicants on the council's register require four-bed accommodation, the vast majority seeking smaller homes.

"In terms of new build, we build more than this percentage on average.

"Since 2009 we have been developing much better information through the housing register and this will help us to plan for the needs of larger families and we will be setting development targets from April for a larger percentage of larger homes."