THE terminally ill Abergavenny man who says he is a "prisoner in his own home" has been offered a one-bedroom bungalow by the local council.

Mark Knowles, 43, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in July, and doctors say he has another six months to live.

His council house in Underhill Crescent, Abergavenny, has steep steps outside, and because Mr Knowles cannot move his body, he says this makes him a prisoner in the house.

His dearest wish is to be rehoused somewhere so he can get out and about in his wheelchair, visiting friends and relatives over Christmas, which he believes will be his last.

He returned home this week after receiving treatment at St Anne's Hospice, in Newport, and has to sleep downstairs, with carers visiting four times a day.

His wife, June, can get him into and out of bed with the aid of a hoist.

She said: "That is difficult for me at the moment because I have a lung infection which I am sure has been brought on by the stress.

"We have been offered a one-bedroom bungalow by Mon-mouthshire county council, which I am going to see soon.

"Mark's occupational therapist and social worker will come with me to assess the property and see if it is big enough for the hoist and for Mark to trundle around in his wheelchair.

"We have been assessed by Gwerin Housing, but we are still waiting to hear from Charter Housing to see if they can help us.

"I am perfectly willing to move out of the property after his death if it has been adapted for a disabled person, because I realise someone else may need it.

"I would never be homeless because I have made some very good friends during the eight years I have lived in Abergavenny."

* Pictured: Mark Knowles with his wife, June