A Shropshire family was forced to melt snow in their bath and use it to flush the toilet and to cook their dinner after pipes in their kitchen froze in the bitterly cold weather.

Daniel Tipton, 35, said that he had had no choice but to melt snow, which he and his two children had gathered from their front lawn after the pipes froze at the family’s house in Woodside, Telford, a week ago.

Mr Tipton and his two children, Demi-Marie, 13, and Aidan, 12, were forced to collect the snow from their garden and haul it upstairs to melt in the bath.

Mr Tipton said that there was nothing else he could have done to survive until the pipes at his Wrekin Housing Trust house had defrosted or someone from the trust had been to sort out the problem.

“I have been getting up early every morning to fill the bath with snow and then we close the bathroom door and the radiator melts it,” said Mr Tipton.

“I have been using it for the toilets and to boil water for cups of tea and to give the dogs something to drink.”

George Rushgrove, from The Wrekin Housing Trust, which sent out staff yesterday, said: “We think it’s wonderful that our tenants are taking the initiative during these adverse weather conditions.

“But to help prevent this sort of thing happening we would urge everybody to keep their central heating on day and night during this cold snap.”

Mr Tipton added that the family had been fed up with the situation.

But he said he was relieved after workers from Wrekin Housing Trust came out to his home and defrosted the pipes.

He added the water was finally running again and he would be able to enjoy Christmas at home with his family instead of them all having to go to his mother’s for the festive break.

He added: “We also had to cook and we were lucky because we have gas, but I have spent about £40 this week on it.

“We should not have been living like this, it was not fair on the children. I also had to use the drip water to fill the toilet.”

By Jason Lavan