Homeless mum forced to make boiled eggs in the toilet to feed kids in 'horrific' hotel

Single mum Michelle Kerr, 40, was placed in B&B accommodation with her three children - but said their experience was 'dreadful' and meant they often had to check out from the hotel

A homeless mum said she was forced to make boiled eggs in the bathroom to feed her three children while living in a hotel in "horrific" conditions.

Michelle Kerr, 40, was made homeless after her private let was repossessed by a mortgage lender from her landlord. Since she had nowhere to go, she was placed in B&B accommodation - but said it was "dreadful" as she was forced to feed her kids just with a kettle, making meals such as eggs or noodles, or anything that could be boiled.

She also explained her family's dignity was wrecked by the requirement to check out of the hotel every four days – waiting on the pavement outside until they were cleared to check in again. The former NHS worker said: "I'm not surprised to see the number of families being stuck in these hotels and B&Bs is going up.

"I was continually told that there was nowhere else to out me. It's like a conveyor belt, moving along one family and moving another family in, with everyone hoping for a decent home where they can finally feel safe. It feels like an impossible dream."

Michelle said she had to sit on a hotel room toilet while cooking boiled eggs and noodles, as she didn't want steam from the kettle to set off the fire alarm. She told the Daily Record: "We were meant to be staying at the hotel for seven days, which is apparently the longest they are meant to keep a family in hotels.

"But it dragged on for three weeks. It was dreadful because I have a daughter with special needs and I was being forced to feed the kids with just a kettle. To avoid setting off the smoke detector I had to sit on the toilet while making boiled eggs with the boiled water from the kettle. Then it was noodles, anything you could boil." The single mum said it was degrading to be asked to vacate her room several times by the hotel managers, which resulted in her and the kids being stuck on the street before having to check in again.

She said: "We were only getting booked in for four days at a time, as the council was constantly scanning for longer-term accommodation. We had to pack our bags, move out and wait on the street. It was horrific. Eventually someone at the council would confirm the ongoing funding – but in the meantime, we weren't allowed to wait in a room. " Michelle and her kids went on to live in five different temporary homes in 18 months.

Government figures released earlier this year showed that as of September 2023 there were 109,000 households in temporary accommodation in the country - up 3.0 per cent from the previous quarter and up 10.3 per cent from the same time last year. The number of single households in temporary accommodation rose 4.3 per cent from the previous quarter and 6.0 per cent from the same time last year to 39,320.