A family has been split up over the festive period after they say landlords failed to find somewhere suitable for their disabled daughter.

The Observer reported last year how Katie Hatch, of Clayton-le-Moors, was confined to a hospital bed in the living room following complications from meningitis she contracted as a child.

Her family was seeking improvement works to the house by Hyndburn Homes or to be relocated

But Katie’s dad Trevor has revealed he and Katie have been forced to live apart from his wife of 26 years, Julie, in order to live somewhere that accommodated Katie’s needs.

Trevor said: “I didn’t want to leave but I had to do what’s right for Katie and now we’re in a bungalow where the ambulance can get her in and out without hurting her.

“It is hard – my wife and my lad come over sometimes but they can’t always afford it and my son’s at college so we don’t always see them.

“We talk on the phone and on Skype a lot. Trevor does not want to reveal where he and Katie are now living after long-standing problems with anti-social behaviour, including bricks being thrown at windows and people calling his daughter names.

Trevor says their new accommodation suits Katie much better but says her health problems are getting worse.

Former kickboxer Katie, 22, is still mostly bed-bound and has to take high doses of morphine.

He added Katie’s jaw now also locks into place and she is waiting for a CT scan in the new year and injections to see if the problem can be rectified, otherwise she may need surgery.

In the new year, Trevor hopes to be able to take Katie swimming and is waiting for a specially-adapted wheelchair to be built for her.

Despite her worsening health, he said Katie is happier at the bungalow than she was at home. He added: “She sings ‘I’m free to do what I want any old time’ because she spent years stuck in that house.”

Hyndburn Homes said they would continue to work with the family and offer all the support they can.

Managing director Nigel Fenton said: “We appreciate that Katie’s current situation is not ideal and we have been working with the family.

“Unfortunately, as is the case with other social housing providers in the borough, there is a shortage of suitably-adapted properties that are appropriate for this family’s needs.

“We have offered support to help them apply for a new home owned by another housing provider. However, they have chosen to make their own arrangements to move.”