A FATHER-of-three who has been placed on the government's Covid-19 vulnerable list due to chronic lung disease has been forced to self-isolate in a caravan on his drive.

David DuBois, 44, from Bolton, separated from his wife and children for a fortnight as he suffers from severe allergic asthma, bronchitis and a suppressed immune system.

The film producer, moved into the caravan when his seven-year-old son Arthur developed a temperature and a his doctor advised him to make no contact.

Since then, David has been living in the caravan, while his wife Lisa, 42, has taken on sole caring responsibilities for Arthur and the couple's daughters, Rebecca, 10 and Lucy, 12.

David gets a text from Lisa when his dinner is ready and she leaves it on the doorstep for him to collect - and he video calls the rest of the family so they can eat together.

David said: "The family have been amazing, but we're all started to show some cracks from being under the strain.

"The lack of physical contact has been the hardest thing to come to terms with.

"When my seven-year-old son walks over for a hug and then has to self-police and back away, that is heart-wrenching.

"My wife has also had to manage being a single parent of three, teacher, worker, cook and cleaner to name but a few of her current roles.

"She has been incredible throughout. Yes, there have been a lot of tears and frustrations but we're just about holding it together."

David, who is hoping to move back into the house this week, has been wearing four layers of clothing, a fleece and a woolly hat to keep warm in the caravan.

He added: "We decided that If I self-isolated from the family and they self-isolated in the house, after two weeks we could come back together and then self-isolate in the house.

"It is going to be fabulous to get back into the house with them, but our self-isolation is going to cause issues with food shopping, as none of us should go out food shopping in my opinion due to the risk to me."

David said he misses the contact with his family and not having to rely on technology to have a conversation with them.

He added: "I miss being able to cook for the family and I do miss sitting around the table as a family - although we have been putting on FaceTime on our laptops so that I'm included in the discussions."

Whenever David goes inside the house for a shower, he has to make sure the rest of the family are all away from him and he cleans every surface with an antibacterial wipe.

He added: "It's like a military manoeuvre and is psychologically incredibly draining."

Lisa said explaining to friends and family why the children would not be attending social events was "heartbreaking".

She added: "At the time the social distancing restrictions hadn't deepened and many people didn't fully appreciate the risk to the vulnerable and the impact the restrictions would have on normal life.

"The first week was particularly challenging, having to be a worker, teacher and parent all at once is impossible.

"I tried to be all these things and within a few days I was an emotional wreck.

"After a FaceTime call with David, I sat down with the children and we worked out a schedule for the week.

"The timetable we have is a mixture of schooling for the children, working time for me, exercising, outdoor play time in the garden, free time and set times for the children to call friends.

"My children have lost some of their childhood, they have had to grow up quicker.

"They have taken on some of my responsibilities to allow me to continue to work.

"They do the laundry, help with the cooking and cleaning, and the girls help with home schooling the youngest.

"It is a team effort and we've all had to adjust. We are excited about David coming home, because then our family will be whole again."

David urged people to follow the government's guidelines, adding: "People should be following the government's advice by self-isolating and social distancing.

"Unfortunately, this message will be read and understood by people who are already taking the correct measures.

"Those selfish enough to already be ignoring the advice will read and disregard the potential impact.

"I've heard the virus being described as a silent killer, but it is not just the virus killing people, its people's ignorance and stubbornness to carry on if nothing is wrong that is killing people and endangering the vulnerable, children, and even the healthy."