A family with three small children must wait 11 days for their windows to be replaced after vandals smashed them.

Norwich City Council shored up the windows to make them safe, but the family from Gertrude Road, Norwich, believes they are still dangerous, and wants the work to be brought forward.

Catherine Mottershaw, 24, lives in the 1930s council house with partner Darren Wright, 24, and their children Keiran Mottershaw, four, Hollie Mottershaw, three, and Mason Wright, nearly seven months.

Nine windows including the glass front door and front lounge window were broken while they were at a birthday party on Saturday night, and they have been told they won't be replaced until next Wednesday. In the meantime Miss Mottershaw said the family was having to wear jumpers and slippers to keep warm, as the gaps in the windows let in the cold and she has been cut by shards of glass. She said: 'I'm worried the children will get hurt as well.

'We have been told that replacement windows cannot be ordered until next Tuesday and won't be put in until Wednesday. I want it done quickly as an emergency, but we will probably have to wait 11 days from the time they were smashed to get the windows replaced.'

A Norwich City Council spokesman said that it empathised with the family for the distress caused, but added: 'There are a number of things that the council, as landlord, has responsibility for replacing and repairing and other things are the responsibility of the tenant. In these cases we would offer to do the work, for which the tenant will be recharged but equally, if they want, the tenant can arrange for their own qualified work person to carry out this work.' A Norfolk Constabulary spokesman conformed that it received a report of criminal damage on Saturday, December 1 between 7.10 and 7.45pm.

Anyone with information about the incident should call 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.