FAMILIES who lost everything when lightning struck their homes in July may have their lives turned upside down again.

CDS, the housing co-operative which owns their houses in Larkswood Close, Slade Green, says it may now have to move the six families from their temporary accommodation because the cost is too high.

The news has stunned the families, who are only just getting their lives back to some semblence of normality after the disaster.

Jo Cross, 38, a complementary therapist, said: "I am only just beginning to get over it. I paid to see a counsellor because I couldn't wait for one. I have been ill over this and so have many of the others."

Ms Cross, who is living with her partner Fred Davis and daughter Jodie, three, in a temporary home in Thamesmead, added: "We are just getting settled. I could not face being uprooted again. I could not handle it."

CDS housing manager Mark Howarth claims its insurers are paying up to double the market rate for renting temporary homes for the six families.

He says the price is so high because it was provided as emergency accommodation, which is only meant to last a few weeks.

It is expected to be nine months before the Larkswood Close houses are fit to return to.

Mr Howarth says the temporary homes, where the families are currently living, were provided by Bexley Council.

He estimates, at the current rents, the cost of providing temporary accommodation until the families' Slade Green homes are ready to return to will run into six figures.

But he added: "I would like to reassure residents although we are looking at the costs of their temporary homes, we are not proposing to move everyone.

"They will be given the option of moving, and if they can find somewhere else themselves they would like to move to, we are prepared to fund it, up to £1,400 a month."

Bexley Council says in the immediate aftermath of the fire it provided accommodation at the Marriott Hotel in Bexleyheath for the families, while officers worked to find them emergency housing.

It says it has no involvement in setting the rent for the temporary homes, which it says is down to individual landlords.

A council spokesman said if CDS has concerns about the rent levels it should raise the problem with the landlords concerned.

Mr Howarth says progress is now being made on the rebuilding of the Larkswood Close houses.

Last week contractors moved in to demolish parts of the homes which are unstable, such as partially-destroyed roofs and floors.

Once this work is complete, structural engineers will be able to give a precise assessment of the scale of the work which needs to be done to bring the homes back into a habitable state.