A family has been forced to live in a hotel after their ceiling collapsed and a chunk narrowly missed hitting one of the kids.

Stacey Sell has been staying at the Maidstone Premier Inn with her partner Mark Thwaites and two children since April 16 after a leak caused damage to their home in Quarry Road.

The 39-year-old first noticed an issue back in December after spotting water dripping from the ceiling above her front door and wet patches on her bedroom floor above.

She reported the leak to Golding Homes who inspected it and said it may just be her cats using the bedroom as a bathroom causing the ceiling to leak.

No work was carried out and the leak continued, she says. Then in February Stacey followed up the issue with the housing association as a small crack appeared above the door.

It wasn’t long until that crevice became a hole and by March 6 the ceiling collapsed altogether.

Inspectors from Golding Homes came round two days later and covered the hole with boarding but come April 16 the issue had spread to the front room.

Stacey told KentOnline: “The hole appeared then over the next couple of days it got bigger.

“When some of the ceiling in the front room fell down there was a nail in it. My son was standing underneath and almost got hit in the head.”

The family only moved out after the ceiling in the front room began collapsing.

Stacey added: “It’s all been very stressful. On the day we were told to move out I phoned my boss to say I was needing to take the day off from the stress.

“My partner had to take time off work too.”

After moving out a second hole has appeared in the front room ceiling, this time closer to a hanging fan.

“We go back on occasion to sort our cats out and do washing. It was the last time we went we noticed the second hole.

“It started to rain at about midday and when it did, it downpoured into our front room. We can’t use the room anymore.”

Golding Homes confirmed it acted upon first hearing of the ceiling in March.

Sian Humphreys, Assistant Director of Repairs & Maintenance at Golding Homes, said: "We’re very sorry for the inconvenience caused to this family.

“We acted promptly to make the ceiling safe when the issue was first reported to us and further investigation this week has found a hole in a heating pipe.

Golding Homes were due to attend the property yesterday (Friday 28 April) to repair this.

She added: “We remain focused on making sure the family can return to the comfort of their home as soon as possible.

“Their safety and wellbeing are our primary concerns and we’ve arranged for them to stay in hotel accommodation while repairs are ongoing.”

But reports filed, and seen by KentOnline, suggest that Stacey has been reporting the issue since December.

In a report made March 8, it says: “I’ve already been called out to this address earlier in the week and last year. It had ‘leaked’ again just before I arrived so went upstairs.

“There was a puddle on top of the floorboards that stank of urine… I suspect it is their cats.

“The ceiling in the porch has fallen through and there is a leak coming through. We need to make safe as the current boarding is falling down and has hit her child.

“The hole in the ceiling is a large square hole the size of two A4 papers together.”

Stacey and her family will continue to stay at the Premier Inn until their home is repaired.

The mum-of-two said: “The front of the house is getting done now but I have to wait for the people to come out and take down three ceilings before anything can be done inside.

“The roof tiles will be getting repaired next on May 2.

“My cats are still there and the only thing I have in my front room now is ceiling. I think now I am wanting to move away from Golding Homes.”