LITTLE Connor McClafferty must be the youngest victim of the sizzling heatwave which has gripped Suffolk.The tot, who is only eight days old , and his proud parents, Laura and Scott, have had to flee their Ipswich council-owned home after medics warned the stifling heat from an adjacent nearby boiler house combined with the searing sun could be lethal for a new-born baby.

LITTLE Connor McClafferty must be the youngest victim of the sizzling heatwave which has gripped Suffolk.

The tot, who is only eight days old , and his proud parents, Laura and Scott, have had to flee their Ipswich council-owned home after medics warned the stifling heat from an adjacent nearby boiler house combined with the searing sun could be lethal for a new-born baby.

It means their first precious days and weeks together as a family will be spent sharing a room in Mrs McClafferty's mother's Bramford Lane home.

The couple have lived in their council-owned Samuel Court flat together for the last seven years, but they claim their tenure has been plagued by excessive temperatures caused by the boiler house which is near their kitchen.

The one-bed property regularly reaches 30C (86F) and, with the problem exacerbated by the recent heatwave, has peaked at a scorching 34C (93F).

While it was uncomfortable enough for them, the pair were warned by their midwife that those temperatures could be deadly for new-born Connor, who requires conditions no hotter than 20C (68F).

Mrs McClafferty, 28, said: “It's much hotter than it should be for a baby. We've been told those sorts of temperatures are linked to cot death and that's it's just not safe.

“We took Connor back to the flat for a bit and he broke out in heat sores. The whole thing has reduced me to tears.

“The problem has been going for a while and nothing has been done. We've had environmental health round to show them how hot it is.

“We used to sit there with the windows and front door open and we were still sweating.”

The family have been on Ipswich Borough Council's housing register for the last nine months and have been in regular touch with officers in the hope they will be offered a new home soon.

However, Mrs McClafferty, a forklift driver , said has grown frustrated with the wait.

She added: “I feel really stressed out. We want to be in our own little place together. It's horrible not having anywhere to go.”

A council spokesman said: “We are investigating and looking for a solution. We hope to be undertaking remedial work to solve the problem.”

Have you suffered in the heat? Do you have the hottest or coolest job? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

LIKE much of England, Suffolk has sweated in the searing temperatures which have hit these shores in recent weeks.

Last week, the county recorded highs surpassing those seen in traditional hot spots such as Cairo in Egypt and Barcelona in Spain, when the mercury hit 31C (87F).

The month-long heatwave has brought around some of the worst drought since 1976.

Tomorrow's highs are predicted to hit 27C (80F)with brilliant sunshine across Suffolk.

And while heavy rain is forecast for the region on Sunday and Monday, temperatures will still remain slightly above average for the time of year.