A PARALYMPIC medallist who represented Great Britain for over a decade says she is being forced to live in a flat too cramped for her disability.

Danielle Swann, nee Watts, swam for her country at the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Paralympic Games.

She broke world records in the 50m and 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and the 50m backstroke.

But the 31-year-old said she was now forced to live in a small one-bedroomed flat with her husband Jamie, who also uses a wheelchair, in Wheatley.

And despite having to share a single bed due to lack of space, South Oxfordshire District Council told her she cannot be rehoused.

She said: “The last 18 months have been really stressful, it’s just ridiculous. I have lived in this flat for eight years and then Jamie moved in a year-and-a-half ago.

“It’s a one bedroom flat and we have to share a single bed. I can’t get my wheelchair in the bedroom because it’s too small. You can’t turn around in the bathroom or the kitchen and the only room we can both get in at the same time is the lounge.

“And then if one of us needs to let the dog out, or go to the toilet, we both have to come out at the same time.”

Mrs Swann, who suffers with cerebral palsy, won bronze and silver medals in the 100m freestyle at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens.

She and Mr Swann married at Headington Baptist Church in July and share the flat with their assistance dog Poppy.

They contacted the council about moving in July, but received a letter in September telling them they were “adequately housed”.

The problem over rehousing the couple has arisen because Mr Swann owns a house in Cornwall.

But he said that due to a dispute with other members of his family he wasn’t able to live in it.

Mrs Swann said: “We are stuck in this flat and we can’t do anything. It’s putting our life on hold.”

The flat is owned by A2Dominion but the decision on rehousing is taken by South Oxfordshire District Council.

Council spokesman Andrew Roberts said officials had investigated the couple’s situation.

He said: “This has confirmed that the situation in which the couple are living is indeed too crowded.

“Under normal circumstances, this would lift them from band five to band three on the housing register, meaning they would be eligible for larger accommodation.

“However, there are personal circumstances regarding one of the two individuals which we cannot reveal for data protection reasons. It is this circumstance which means they are ineligible for a higher band of housing.”