Garden shed used as home

16:11:20 13th November 2009

A family in Australia have lived in their garden shed for more than three years, it has emerged.

Jonathan Curtin, who suffers from depression, has been living in the three by three metre timber shed with his wife and children, Adelaide´s Advertiser newspaper reported this week.

Having got into debt after being declared unfit to work, his family took up residence in the building after trying to secure public housing for almost 20 years.

Since moving into the garden shed, he has married and had children, who now live with him in the structure.

Mr Curtin and his family have been promised by local housing officials that they will be given a proper home as soon as possible.

This week, the Express and Star reported the life story of Pauline Barnett, who recently died. She set up one of Britain´s first charity shops in a shed in West Bromwich more than 30 years ago.