A couple who have moved to Liskeard from Derbyshire, after swopping council homes, were so distraught by the condition of their 'new' property that they instantly considered returning up north.

Carol and Lionel Thornley, who moved into Park View about a fortnight ago with their children, Ashley aged 11 and Sadie aged ten, claim they discovered the previous tenants had kept 15 cats, nine dogs, snakes, rats, lizards and chinchillas. As a result, they say, every carpet was sopping in urine and had to be ripped out instantly - and floorboards were soaked so much they need repairing. They say the kitchen sink is damaged and will not retain water, the toilet leaks, and every room was initially inhabitable.

Mrs Thornley, a nurse, said: 'As soon as we trod on the tiles in the kitchen they squelched. The smell just hit me as soon as we opened the front door, and when we got into the kitchen it was so bad I was physically sick.' She added that her children have been in tears since moving in, and at one stage she bought a one-way ticket home.

The couple have been in contact with Caradon council, who have widened a fireplace to allow them to install a gas fire and have put two new locks on their outhouse door, but the Thornleys say they are desperate for more work to be carried out. Mrs Thornley said: 'They did promise me they would put in a new sink, but that has not been done yet, and in the meantime I just haven't been able to wash up.'

She and her husband have started re-decorating, to make a bedroom fit for their son to sleep in, but at the moment the whole family are sleeping in the same room. Initially they were put up in the Lord Eliot Hotel for three days, after complaining to Caradon about the state of the house, but they say nothing substantial was done during that period, and they returned to a home in the same condition as before.

They have been helped by next door neighbours, Irene and Frederick King. Mrs King explained she has contacted Caradon constantly during the last two years about the smell from next door, which she said has made her ill. She said two sheds with Rottweiler dogs in them had been placed the other side of her dividing wall and 'the stench from them was unbearable'.

Such was her concern that she also contacted her local councillor, and South East Cornwall MP, Colin Breed. She videoed the state of the house when her new neighbours moved in, to ensure there was a record of what they found. She said: 'There was animal excrement everywhere and the smell was terrible.' She added: 'The Thornleys are in a state of distress, and need real help from the council.'

Mrs Thornley said: 'We have used gallons of bleach since we moved in, and I haven't dared go into the dining room yet.'

She accepted that both herself, and her husband, did look around the house in May. She said she noticed a smell, but thought it could be dealt with through some scrubbing and cleaning.`

Caradon housing manager, Kevin Penny, said the couple had carried out a mutual exchange, and so legally accepted conditions regarding the exchange. He said Caradon was responsible for the outside of the building, and the fixtures and fittings, like any landlord - but the Thornleys were responsible for the interior. He added delays had occurred over when the swop took place, so by the time the Thornleys moved in the previous tenants had obviously let the interior deteriorate, compared with when it was viewed in the summer.

He said Caradon had tried to help out, and had helped clear a space for a gas fire, and would install a new sink this week.

He also said that with council money scarce it would be wrong to spend out in areas where the council does not have responsibility.