A six-year-old boy with severe cancer has been told his case is not regarded as "serious enough" to warrant a much-needed move to a new home.

The family of Alfie Smith, who suffers from acute lymphocytic leukaemia, are desperate to move him from his home in Thornton Heath to Merton, where he will be closer to his grandparents who want to help look after him.

The family applied to Merton Council for a home swap for Alfie, which will also allow him to attend the cancer unit at St George's Hospital, Tooting.

At present Alfie's grandfather, Robert Curtis, drives from Merton to Thornton Heath to fetch Alfie and his mother, Tracy Curtis, three times a week to take him to the Royal Marsden and then back to his home.

"The journey is totally tiring the boy out. If he lived near us he could have the treatment at St George's Hospital," said Mr Curtis.

But Merton Council denied the application on the grounds that the case was not severe enough to allow a move from one borough to the other.

Jeff Hobden, interim director of community and housing, said: "Although the council is very sympathetic to Miss Curtis' situation the application was refused as we couldn't justify allocating a home to this particular family ahead of the people in serious housing need who live in Merton and are currently on our housing register.

"We understand and sympathise with the plight of the family, but we have to be fair to all those in need of housing."

Miss Curtis, 24, said: "I'm really annoyed because others in the area have got houses for far less reason."

Alfie's sister, Shannon, four, is unable to attend school on the days that Alfie has to go to hospital as there is no one who can collect her in the afternoon.

If the family lived in Merton Shannon could attend school regularly and be picked up by Miss Curtis' sisters, who also have children in the area.

Alfie is in the middle of a year-long course of chemotherapy, which will be followed by two more years of chemotherapy tablets.

It will take five years before he can be given the all clear by doctors.

"His condition is up and down at the moment," Mr Curtis said.