A Bexley mum says she feels humiliated at not being able to return home after a tree smashed through her roof.

Maxine Jones, 48, was in the kitchen when the tree ripped through her home before collapsing onto her car on January 18.

Three months after the storm – Maxine is still living away from home.

She told News Shopper: “I am now in Swanscombe with my parents. One of my sons is with his dad and my other son is in university.

“But because of the Easter break he has had to sleep on his girlfriend’s floor in Crawley, rather than return home.”

The Hyde Group tenant has being paying full rent since the accident despite not living in the home, which was built 15 years ago.

“I work in a supermarket so don’t earn a lot,” she said. “They advised me to keep paying rent and they will decide if I’m due any back later on.”

The housing association offered Maxine a new flat, which she said didn’t have curtains or furniture, but she reluctantly accepted it.

However, when she was back in her damaged Bexley Park home packing – builders outside told her work would be finished in two weeks.

An email, seen by News Shopper, was sent to Maxine from Hyde Group on March 19, which stated: “I have been advised that the brickworks are due to be completed on Thursday this week.

“The roofing work will start next Monday and be finished by the end of the week. Scaffolding to come down the week after.”

Maxine decided to return the keys to her new flat and wait for the building work to be done so she could finally move home.

However, she said after two hours the builders stopped working and left the house in a worse state.

“It is extremely frustrating,” she said. “I have never lived without my children, even though the youngest is 19.

“But it is awful and really disruptive. It feels like they don’t care and I am an annoying insignificance.”

She added: “I’m looking for any help I can get now. Being nice and polite isn’t getting me anywhere.”

A spokesman for Hyde-House Association said: “We understand that this is a difficult time for Ms Jones and her family. There was significant structural damage to her home and it has taken time to get appropriate advice and ensure that we could carry out the works safely.

"We are working hard to get this repaired as quickly as possible so that the family can move back in. We did offer to provide alternative accommodation which was declined and are providing regular updates to Ms Jones regarding the work.”