A couple planning to start a family said they cannot do so because a house builder failed to construct a secure roof for their home.

Philip Taylor and Louise Reuter

Philip Taylor and partner Louise Reuter sold their homes, stored their furniture, and handed over a £20,050 deposit to Westbury Homes in April for a three-bedroom house on Witney's Deer Park estate.

They were shown plans of how the house would look and told they would be able to move in during August. But an inspection by the National House Building Council revealed construction problems with the roof.

The couple said they had lost confidence in Westbury Homes.

Mr Taylor said: "They've only offered to return our deposit and pay our legal fees, but we think we're entitled to the interest on the money and compensation for the fact house prices have gone up since then.

"We wanted to move to a larger home to start a family, but obviously that hasn't been possible."

A Westbury Homes spokesman said: "We're aware of the problems relating to the property and are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible."