A YOUNG family living in a council hostel for homeless people are outraged after they were told by staff to deal with the suspected trapped body of a dead rat using air freshener.

People living in Norway House, in Epping Road, North Weald, claim that a dead rodent was left rotting beneath the floorboards of a communal stairwell for four weeks before it was finally removed by staff.

When residents complained they were told to use a spray to mask the stink.

However the council have said they do not know what caused the smell and that it might not have been a rat.

Jamie Cullen, 22, who lives in Norway House with his partner and their five week old baby, said: “There was a terrible smell coming from the stairs. We complained and at first they told us it was a dead squirrel but they said they couldn't get it out of there.

“Then we found out it was actually a dead rat. We went to the office to complain but all they offered us was an air freshener.

“We thought it was ridiculous. We don't want our baby breathing in the fumes – and the rest of the building is parents and children too.

“Whenever I went up the stairs I had to put a t-shirt over my face, the smell was just so bad.”

Residents also suspect the block is infested with rodents, a claim the council denies.

Mr Cullen added: “Whenever I go outside for a smoke you hear and sometimes glimpse things running around.

“When our health visitor came here she was disgusted when we told her about what had happened.”

Neighbour Sam Rocca, 24, said: "It's quite disguting, especially when you have so many children living here.

"It's not something I want my two kids to have to smell every day."

A spokesman for Epping Forest District Council said: "One resident complained about a smell near a communal stairway. Staff could not ascertain what was causing the smell because it was coming from an enclosed void underneath the stairs that could not be accessed.

"Staff surmised that it may have been a mouse, squirrel or other animal that had managed to gain access to the void and then died.

"It is also possible that the smell has been caused during the refurbishment of one of the bathrooms when a soil pipe was opened.

"The residents who raised the concern were offered an alternative room in the hostel which they declined. Staff did offer an air freshener as the resident did not wish to move. The smell has since gone.

"Residents of Norway House can raise any issue of concern with staff. Regular meetings are held with other agencies, and generally they have expressed their satisfaction with the standard of the accommodation at Norway House."