A woman is battling with Oxford City Council because she wants to move from her three-bedroom house into her late parents' flat.

Since her children have grown up, Denise French has lived alone in her Greater Leys family home, in Shepherd's Hill, which is owned by Oxford Citizen Housing Association.

But, although she has asked to swap to her parents' former flat, in Bury Knowle Park, Headington, the city council claims it is against the rules.

Denise FrenchMrs French said: "Obviously the flat is smaller and my house is just too big for me on my own - I don't need three bedrooms any more. But the flat is also full of memories of my parents who lived there for 20 years.

"The council has just told me that rules are rules and has given me until the end of August to empty the flat. However, I'm still paying rent on both properties."

The council flat was registered to Mrs French's mother, Doreen Atkins. The tenancy was transferred over to her father, Victor, when his wife died two months ago.

Mr Atkins became ill and Mrs French moved in to give him 24 hour care. When he died two weeks ago, she asked if she could stay on, but housing officers said council property could only be transferred once within the same family.

The situation follows news that Oxford City Council is trying to house 1,000 families in the city, who are currently living in temporary or bed-and-breakfast accommodation.

Staff recently launched an empty house hotline to reclaim property which could be used by homeless families.

Mrs French said: "My house is ideal for a family with two or three children, and the council would never be able to use my parents flat for big families.

"What with my parents' deaths and now this, I'm very depressed."

Karen Turner, Oxford City Council's acting head of housing and customer services, said: "The flat which Mrs French's parents lived in is a ground-floor flat. We have many people on our housing waiting list who need this type of home: people with mobility difficulties and people who need a carer.

"If Mrs French wants advice about moving to a smaller property, we will be only too happy to talk to her. We also suggest that she speaks to her own landlord to see if they have a smaller property available."