‘My son goes to school smelling of damp’: Woman who waited four months for council to repair leak returns to damp and mould

A woman with two young children who waited for four months for her council to repair a major leak in her home has returned to find mould, damp and insects.

The woman is a 28-year-old victim of domestic abuse and will remain anonymous for legal reasons.

Two weeks ago, the South London Press reported on the woman, who was racially abused while she was forced to move between temporary accommodations with damp and mould by her council while pregnant.

She was moved out of her home into temporary accommodation in February so Lewisham Homes could deal with the leak.

She was told that the property would be fixed in eight weeks, but it took 16 weeks of living in hotels with her four-year-old and one-year-old sons before Lewisham Homes told her the accommodation was suitable to return to.

She said: “I’ve come home and my house smells very strongly of damp and mould.

Video of ants in the house that had come through holes that formed because of the leak (Video: Supplied by victim)

“There’s loads of insects all over my clothes and ants crawling in and out of these holes that formed because of the leak which haven’t been filled in properly.

“I thought the point of me not being there was for them to fix the leak, damp and mould. They’ve just sprayed the walls with mould spray which they’ve left here. That’s it.”

The woman said she had to pay a cleaner £257 to come and clear the mess the decorators left behind.

She said: “They said they can’t sort out the walls and that’s something the council need to do.”

She also said she has had her windows open for two days now to try and get rid of the smell of damp but it has not worked.

She said: “It’s affecting our breathing. When my four-year-old goes to school he smells of it, his lunch box smells of it.

“They have said the leak stopped but the leak damage is still there and the damp is still there. I can’t see what they have done in the 16 weeks I had to stay in different hotels.”

She said: “My one-year-old has asthma, and an asthma pump recommended by the doctor to help him with his breathing. 

“He also has extreme eczema that has worsened over the course of living in poor accommodation since birth.

“No one has fulfilled their duty to care to us.”

MP for Lewisham East, Janet Daby, contacted the woman after reading the article in the South London Press.

She said: ‘This is a very distressing case and I am incredibly sorry to hear about the experience she has had.

“I’ve been in touch with this woman and with Lewisham council for a number of months to try to resolve these problems.

“I’m continuing to do what I can to support her and to work with the council, who confirmed to me this week that they are in touch and are assisting her.

“I will of course keep up to date with the woman’s case and encourage anybody who lives in Lewisham East and requires assistance to contact me.”

A spokesman from Lewisham council said:  “Lewisham Homes have been in contact with this resident in relation to any outstanding repair issues at the property and will be working with her to resolve them.”

Pictured top: Rubbish left outside the house when the woman returned home with her two children and wallpaper peeling off the walls inside (Picture: Supplied by the victim)