A couple with four young children have hit out at the state of housing in Bicester after their family, which has been waiting for a council house for more than two years, was offered temporary accommodation in a one-bedroom flat.

Robert Black, 23, his partner Julie Rout, and their four children, Bonnie, 13, Luke, eight, Tia and Caris, both two, are about to be evicted from their privately rented house in Tamar Crescent, due to rent arrears.

But they have been told their only option is to move to a one-bedroom flat which could be anywhere in the Cherwell District area -- stretching up to Banbury in the north and Kidlington in the south.

The family fear they may be forced to take their children out of their schools in Bicester. Luke goes to Kings Meadow School, and Bonnie is a pupil at Cooper School.

Mr Black, who works at William Hill bookmakers in Market Square, said: "They're doing really well, Luke was classed as special needs but has actually improved so much and is settled.

"Bonnie is absolutely terrified about leaving. If they move it'll really disrupt them again."

He added that staying in the town was crucial to his partner's health.

Miss Rout, 37, suffers from postnatal depression and is receiving support from a Bicester family charity.

Mr Black said: "If we move out of Bicester Julie will lose all the help she is getting from Home-Start and the psychiatrist.

"If she has to move, God knows what will happen."

Despite being on the council's waiting list for more than two years, they have been warned it could be three more years before they get accommodation.

Mr Black said: "We're going to waste two or three years being shipped around like pieces of meat. We won't cope in a one-bedroom flat, we'll be sleeping on top of each other."

More than 1,500 people on the council's waiting list have chosen Bicester as one of their preferred locations, but since April only 41 town properties have become available.

James Macnamara, Cherwell District Council's executive member for housing, said demand for Bicester housing far outstripped supply.

He said: "There is quite a problem. The waiting list does seem to be building as more people want to live in the district and it's likely to continue to grow. We're putting in huge amounts of money but there are practical limits."

Mr Macnamara said the only way to get enough social housing was through large-scale developments.

But he added that they needed to be in the right place with enough infrastructure to support them.

The district council said it was in contact with the family to try to prevent them becoming homeless.