A couple who have lived in a tent for two years have been told they will remain homeless for Christmas.

Karen and Richard Smith endure freezing nights as they sleep under canvas.

The Argus highlighted their case in November.

At the time they were hoping their housing list bid for a flat in Saltdean would be accepted – but they have discovered their bid has failed.

Karen, 40, said: “We are just stuck at the moment. We haven’t been able to bid for the last six weeks, while we waited to see if we would get this flat.

“It is a big disappointment.”

The couple have been forced to move from the cemetery opposite St Nicholas Church in Dyke Road, Brighton, where they were living when The Argus raised their case.

Karen said: “We had to move out of the graveyard.

“One night we got hassled. Kids were saying: ‘Set fire to their tent’ and ‘Burn them at the stake.’”

Karen and Richard, who survive on working tax credit and by selling the Big Issue, are struggling to pay a council tax bill they were sent for six weeks they spent in a temporary flat while Karen recovered from an operation earlier this year.

After waiting two years, they do not expect to be successful in finding a council flat in the immediate future.

According to Brighton and Hove City Council, there were only ten people sleeping rough in the city in June.

But homelessness charities said the way council figures are collected meant they could reflect just a tenth of the real number.

Brighton and Hove City Council told The Argus the couple had been offered support. A spokeswoman said: “The couple have been supported by Brighton and Hove’s rough sleepers and street service team, operated by the Crime Reduction Initiative, for many months now and there is no need whatsoever for them to be spending Christmas in a tent.

“In fact, Mr and Mrs Smith have not been seen sleeping rough since they last appeared in The Argus.

“Even though they are not residents of Brighton and Hove, Mr and Mrs Smith were offered a deposit for a private rented flat and were found accommodation in Crawley. Both were turned down.

“They were also advised that they could request a Community Care Act assessment for the purposes of the National Assistance Act, which also would have given them emergency shelter during the recent cold weather, but they did not take advantage of that either.”

But Karen said: “That is the first time we have heard that we have been offered anything in Crawley. If they offered us help or temporary accommodation we would take it. Of course we would. We’re not stupid. They are just fobbing us off."