A 19-YEAR-OLD mother has found herself homeless with a seriously ill new-born baby, after being told she could no longer stay in a Richmond hostel because she did not obey the council's rules.

Emma Dilloway lived at a hostel in Queen's Road, Richmond, for several weeks last year but she left to spend Christmas with her father and to have her son.

The baby was born with holes in its heart and a problem with one of its heart valves so Emma stayed in Kingston Hospital with him for some time before the pair were transferred to West Brompton Hospital.

When Emma returned to Richmond at the end of January, she tried to move back to the Queens Road hostel because she had nowhere else to go.

She was told that she was no longer welcome there, because Richmond upon Thames Council had categorised her as intentionally homeless'.

Her father, Colin Dilloway, said: "My daughter was just thrown out. I could tell the man at the hostel was shocked and embarrassed. After all that she has been through with having the child and then it being so ill, it was ruthless. She broke down in tears.

"She had been staying with the baby at Kingston Hospital then the baby was taken to West Brompton.

"I have a two bedroom apartment and have no room for her and the baby, I've got my other kids staying.

"She declared herself homeless at Kingston and spent time at a B&B. She went on holiday and while she was gone the manager of the B&B rented out her room. This is what the problem is, but I think this has nothing to do with Richmond upon Thames Council."

In response, the council said that they have found Emma intentionally homeless and therefore cancelled her accommodation at the hostel.

A council spokesman said: "The council can confirm that Emma Dilloway applied as homeless to the Royal Borough of Kingston. They placed her in temporary accommodation in Surbition.

"Ms Dilloway signed an agreement with Kingston Council to occupy the accommodation as her sole residence but failed to do so. She did not stay there but collected her post.

"As a result Kingston Council would have the right to stop paying for her accommodation and the landlord was able to rent her room out again.

"Ms Dilloway then applied to the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames as homeless and was placed in further accommodation and then into the hostel on Queens Road, pending an investigation into her case.

"The council found her intentionally homeless and therefore cancelled her accommodation at the Queen's Road Hostel."