A COUPLE have described living in their council flat in Musselburgh as being “nothing but hell”.

Sean Clelland, 30, and his 29-year-old partner Kirsty Conway complained about the state of the Stoneybank Gardens South property, which they moved into seven months ago.

They claimed the top-floor flat had no insulation in the attic and was damp and dusty, with their living room, kitchen and stairway all affected.

They said they were now facing the prospect of being decanted to another house for the walls to be stripped and replastered, just a couple of weeks before Ms Conway is due to give birth to her third child.

She said one of their children, whose room was affected by dampness and black mould on the windows, now used a steroid inhaler and was put on antibiotics.

Mr Clelland said: “People are saying it's a disgrace. They can’t believe [the council] put a family in here, especially a pregnant woman. We didn’t expect it to be like this. I feel the house is falling to bits.”

The couple had been staying with Mr Clelland’s family in Prestonpans and moved to Musselburgh for “a fresh start” together.

Ms Conway said: “There was no insulation in the attic and they had to come out and check it, which took two weeks to do. I have to put hot water bottles in the bairns' beds at night. This is 2016, you should never have to do that.”

She said when they moved into the flat, there was no gas safety certificate and they were left without heating and hot water. This forced them to move back in with Mr Clelland's family until it was fixed.

Ms Conway said she was “at the end of her tether”, adding: “It is not that I have left it, I have been chasing the council since September. I have had to go back on to antidepressants. They are just not listening. We are just so unhappy here. I am not even excited to have my baby and will I be bringing the baby back to bare walls?

“A couple of months after we moved in, I said to Sean 'I think someone’s died in here'. It is that kind of cold – it just chills you to the bone.”

A council spokesperson said: “East Lothian Council is unable to comment on individual cases, but whenever a concern is raised, it is followed up rigorously. In cases where there are health concerns, the council strives to provide suitable alternative accommodation while repairs are carried out.”