Final days for ailing council flat wife spent in squalor, say distraught family

By Ben Lynch, Local Democracy Service

An 84-year-old council tenant says he and his 82-year-old wife were left over Christmas by Westminster City Council with no carpet, TV or almost any other belongings in their front room following a series of leaks.

And during that sad period, Kenneth Slater’s wife Sheila Slater passed away, with the ‘house-proud’ woman’s last festive period being spent in what the family have described as ‘squalor’.

A spokesperson for Westminster City Council said the local authority was ‘saddened’ to learn Mrs Slater had died, and that it was doing everything it could to urgently complete any remaining repairs in Lillington Gardens.

Mr Slater’s family, including his five children, have been aiding him with the ongoing issues at his home, which he has lived in for 55 years.

They have accused the council of failing to deliver promised support on time, and not providing a duty of care for two elderly, vulnerable tenants.

Mrs Slater was disabled, requiring a walking frame to get around in the house and a mobility scooter when outdoors, and had myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer.

Mr Slater had also previously been a cancer patient, receiving the all-clear several years ago, and walks with a crutch, having had a hip replacement in early 2023.

Mr Slater said he estimated he will have spent about £5,000 on repairs to his home, due to what he says have been council delays.

One of his children, Shelley Cole, 60, filed a complaint with the council over the ongoing issues.

Mr Slater said the problems began in mid-October, when a leak from one of the flats above flooded his front room and kitchen.

The water not only damaged his ceiling, but also soaked his carpet and kitchen. He has had to replace his hob due to the damage, which he did at his own expense.

Having called the fire brigade, Ms Cole then rang the council’s emergency number, and the authority sent round a plumber and electrician that same day. Mr Slater was subsequently told the water would be drained from the carpet, and a dehumidifier delivered.

The Slater family, however, said these took so long that they ended up paying for a private company to clean the carpet, with one of Mr Slater’s sons eventually removing it himself due to the smell. A dehumidifier was delivered five days after the leak.

The council had also told Mr Slater none of the plug sockets in his front room or kitchen, both of which are downstairs in his flat, could be used for around a week while they dried out.

Requiring power not only for kitchen equipment but also a freezer on his balcony, as well as lighting in his front room, he had to run extension cables from sockets upstairs during this period, which he said posed a risk for he and his wife.

Towards the end of October, Ms Cole filed what is known as a stage one complaint, raising concerns around not only the length of time taken to resolve the issues, but also the lack of compensation provided.

In response, the council upheld the complaint and offered compensation of £120.

The flat has since been hit by several more, smaller leaks into the kitchen. The family said the council has been unable to gain access to the flat the water is coming from, leaving Mr Slater on-edge as to when the next leak could occur. One of additional worries asbestos being found in the ceiling.

There was also an issue with the collection of items from Mr Slater’s front room, to allow for the ceiling work to take place. A removal company turned up unannounced towards the end of November.

Ms Cole said of the council’s efforts: “There’s been no duty of care at all. Leaving an 84-year-old man, vulnerable, both cancer patients. Really they left them for a month before anything was done at all.”

Mr Slater’s wife, Mrs Slater, had been in hospital at the time of the first leak with pneumonia, before being discharged at the end of October. However, she was readmitted after falling in her home just before Christmas. While in hospital, she was told she had sepsis and pneumonia again, and died on December 27.

Mr Slater said: “Nothing will bring her back. I’m not saying when she died [the situation] was directly responsible, but it hadn’t helped.”

Ms Cole added: “The last few weeks of her life, all they was doing was seeing what’s going on in here. None of us have actually said her death was directly to do with this, but it honestly didn’t help. The stress they was both going through, all to do with this.”

A spokesman for the council said: “We were saddened to learn that Mrs Slater passed away over Christmas. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.

“The council is aware of the ongoing repairs issues at the property and has been in touch with the family to resolve these as soon as possible.

“We appreciate the impact these issues have caused the family at an exceptionally difficult time and we are doing everything we can to complete any remaining repairs urgently.”

Picture: Mr Slater has had to leave some items on his balcony until a new carpet can be fitted in his front room (Picture: LDRS)