COUNCIL officials have apologised for putting the survivors of a house blaze into emergency accommodation without working smoke alarms.

Charmaine Partlett, 25, and her four children aged between two and nine, were left homeless after a fire ripped through their three-storey home in Lyndworth Mews, Headington, on Sunday.

They were only rescued after hearing the smoke alarm and being able to call firefighters.

Oxford City Council placed the family - who lost all their possessions in the blaze - in a flat in Rectory Road, East Oxford.

But they were horrified to discover that neither of the two smoke alarms were working.

The council has apologised to the family and moved them to a hotel until suitable accommodation can be found.

Miss Partlett said: "I can't take my kids back somewhere without a smoke alarm. It's too dangerous.

"My family's life was saved by the working smoke alarms. I could barely sleep knowing there were no smoke alarms in the council's flat.

"The council should take a long hard look at some of its landlords and carry out some proper safety checks."

Miss Partlett was rescued from the blaze in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Son Travis, seven, and daughters Mimi, three, and Skye, two, were also saved by fire crews.

Eldest daughter Rhiannon, nine, was staying at a friend's house during the night of the fire.

Fire service station manager David Heycock said firefighters offered to fit smoke alarms in the flat, but the family had already been moved to a hotel.

He added: "The council has been presented with a very large family at the very last minute.

"But smoke alarms saved their life and it is indefensible."

Last night council spokesman Chris Lee said the family was rehoused in an emergency and the flat was not checked.

But smoke detectors were fitted when the issue was raised on Monday.

Mr Lee said: "The fact that the smoke detector was not working is unfortunate, particularly given the circumstances.

"We apologise if we caused the family any additional stress as a result.

"However, we did respond promptly to their emergency by providing suitable accommodation for overnight use."

He added the council's policy was to only place families in homes with smoke alarms and usually officers check homes first to ensure they have working safety devices.

He said a reputable landlord had been used, but because the family needed housing so quickly there was no time to check the smoke alarms were working.

The council said it was keeping its fire safety policy under constant review.