A COUPLE who were left homeless when fire swept through their house have been given temporary accommodation - in a community hall.

Stephen Thompson and Sandra Beard are being forced to share their new accommodation with local darts teams, bingo players and sheltered housing administrative workers.

The couple lost almost everything when flames and smoke spread through their three-bedroom end-of-terrace house in Bicester's Blenheim Drive three weeks ago.

Mr Thompson said they now did not even have the use of a bath or a shower at the community hall in Lerwick Croft.

The 43-year-old said: "We are in our third week now. We are living in a hall and my partner is disabled.

"I have got no facilities for her. Social services are based here and they are in and out all day long - it's unbelievable.

"There's a room off the hall with two beds in it and a sink. It's right by the front door and there's no privacy.

"Anyone can walk through the building and you don't know who they are.

"On a Monday night they have darts here and on a Friday night they have bingo. We have been told it could be six or seven months before we get back into our house because it's that damaged.

"People will not believe how we are living."

Ms Beard, 57, who has no feeling in the lower part of her legs and uses a walking frame, had lived in her house in Blenheim Drive for 29 years.

Mr Thompson said the couple had to use the hall's communal toilets, but because of his partner's disability he was forced to get up early to help her into the ladies before members of the public started coming in.

Charter Community Housing has offered the couple alternative accommodation in Banbury which they turned down, saying it would be impractical because Ms Beard has regular appointments at the community hospital and day centre in Bicester.

Mr Thompson, who cares for Mrs Beard full-time, explained the couple had also been offered alternative accommodation in Bicester which they declined because they were worried about nearby drug dealing.

He said they were out shopping when the fire started and it may have been sparked by a deep fat fryer.

Mr Thompson said: "We lost everything. We literally came out of there with the clothes we stood up in. I just did not think we would be treated so badly."

The Oxford Mail's photographer was banned from taking pictures inside the hall when he first visited on Thursday, but was later given permission by Charter staff.

Ms Beard said: "They told us to take it as our home so we were quite cross. It's an absolute nightmare."

A spokesman for Charter said: "Ms Beard has been housed in the guest room at Lerwick Croft sheltered housing scheme as a temporary measure while we try to arrange more suitable accommodation in the Bicester area."