Paralympic hero David Weir is set to be rehomed after housing chiefs were shamed into finding him a house with a downstairs toilet.
The wheelchair athlete, 34, who won four gold medals at London 2012, had asked for a move from his modest terraced house in Wallington, south London, amid fears he risked long-term injury dragging himself up the stairs.
His fiancée, Emily Thorne, claimed the local housing association Roundshaw Homes told her they would not move the family because they feared being accused of “favouritism”.
He and Ms Thorne have two children Mason, two, and Tillie, one. His other daughter Ronie, often stays with them.
But today Sutton council stepped in and said officials were “hopeful that a suitable property had been identified”.
Ms Thorne, 24, had said: “We are not asking for a mansion, we just want somewhere with three bedrooms and a downstairs toilet.
“With David getting a bit older he could do without the trips up the stairs on his arms, risking a recurring shoulder injury.
“I understand there is a huge demand for housing and there are others who need a three bed home more.
“But after the Games, Roundshaw said they had a three bedroom house going, but then told us we couldn’t have it because they did not want to look like they were showing favouritism towards David.”
A Sutton council spokesman said: “We have been working to meet David’s needs for some time and are close to resolving his housing requirements.
“The supply of social housing is very limited especially larger homes suitable for families.
“The need to find accommodation suitable for adaptation to meet specific need adds to the difficulty.
“We are hopeful that a suitable property has been identified that could meet the needs of David and his family.”
A Roundshaw Homes spokesman said: “We continue to actively liaise with Mr Weir to address his housing needs in terms of the size of his home and appropriate adaptations.”
Weir’s family had accused Roundshaw of hypocrisy after bosses used Weir’s image following his Paralympic success.
The housing association plugs its association with the Paralympian on its website and launched The David Weir Sports Bursary for Roundshaw, a £1,000 award to help local young people train competitively.
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Sutton council also named a leisure centre after him and he was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2012, while his nearest postbox was painted gold in his honour after his success at London 2012.
He was awarded a CBE in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to athletics.
