A JOHNSTONE mum fears her autistic son could die in a tragic accident unless council chiefs agree to move her family to a “safer” home.

Amanda Burns, 39, said four-year-old Oliver has repeatedly tried to climb out of the windows at her top-floor flat in Canal Street.

Renfrewshire Council has agreed to move the family to a “suitable” property when one becomes available but mum-of-three Amanda insists they can’t wait.

She told The Gazette: “I’ve been having nightmares that my son is going to fall out a window.

“Oliver is non-verbal and has no sense of danger but he’s got quite a lot of strength and is constantly up at the windows, pushing them open.

“I’ve had people from downstairs chapping my door, screaming and shouting because they’ve seen his legs hanging out the window from outside.”

The Gazette: Four-year-old Oliver has repeatedly tried to climb out of the windows at the top-floor flatFour-year-old Oliver has repeatedly tried to climb out of the windows at the top-floor flat

Amanda said her only option is to keep the windows at her flat in the three-storey tenement locked at all times but she fears this is negatively impacting the health of Oliver and her nine-year-old twin girls.

She added: “I’ve had to put a lock on the outside of my girls’ bedroom door to let them open their window for a bit of ventilation.

“It was in June last year that I applied for a move, after the health visitor saw Oliver trying to climb out the windows, and this has been going on for far too long now.

“I can’t afford a private let and the council keep saying ‘Oh, we don’t have many three-bedroom houses in Renfrewshire’ but there are loads of properties sitting empty.

“This is my son’s life that is at risk here.”

The Gazette: Amanda has put a lock on the outside of her twin girls’ bedroom door to keep Oliver safeAmanda has put a lock on the outside of her twin girls’ bedroom door to keep Oliver safe

A council spokesperson said: “Our housing team have been supporting Ms Burns in recent months with her application for a property which better meets the needs of her family.

“While she is on the list to receive a suitable property once one becomes free, we have limited availability of three-bed properties in the areas she is looking for.

“Some of the empty properties she has asked about are currently undergoing repairs, meaning they are not available to be let at the moment.

“Our staff will be in touch with Ms Burns as soon as a suitable home becomes available and are happy to talk to her to see if there is anything else we can do to help with her application.”