A young mum and her children have lost nearly everything they own after their flat was contaminated by asbestos.

Toni Wood and her three youngsters had to flee their home in Wickford with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing after council bosses sealed it up.

The bombshell came after a council appointed heating contractor disturbed panels in the walls of the 1960s-built flat in Alderney Gardens while installing radiators.

Bosses at Waltham Forest Council in London, which owns the flat, said an investigation had been launched and work with the firm had been stopped until the council was satisfied with its safety conduct.

A tearful Toni, 22, said yesterday (Thursdy): "We've lost everything. Our clothes, the kids' toys, everything. I just can't believe it."

The family, with Toni's partner John Askew, had to spend the night in a hotel in Wickford after the flat was sealed up and warning signs plastered on the door on Monday evening.

Miss Wood said: "We haven't been able to change our clothes and even these will have to thrown away because they could be infected. I can't believe this is happening. We've got nothing left."

A council spokeswoman said all soft items in the flat would have to be destroyed while hard items could be decontaminated. She said it had strict procedures.

Anxious - Toni Wood with her children, Finlay, Troy and Jake

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