Mum scared daughter ‘won’t wake up in the morning’ because of mould in flat
'Is it going to take another child to die before changes are made?'
A mum says she is terrified her young daughter will not wake up one day because of mould and damp in her flat.
Demi said she has been battling with squalid conditions in her Liverpool home for years.
Landlord Sanctuary Housing say they carried out work on it recently which has improved the situation but the 27-year-old wants out completely.
She said she has been shaken by the death of Awaab Ishak, a toddler who died in December 2020 after exposure to mould in a rented house in Rochdale.
Demi’s daughter is the same age as Awaab and says she’s already suffering with health issues.
‘When I saw on the news about the little boy who died in a cold, mouldy flat, I was sat there with tears rolling down my face with my daughter asleep in the next room with mould all over her windows,’ she said.
‘I just ran in and moved her to be next to me, she has had breathing problems the whole time we have been here. She has been referred to Alder Hey with it and has to use an inhaler.
‘I keep wondering if my baby is going to wake up in the morning and I can’t deal with it. We need to make a stand.’
The mum has had mould in her flat ever since she moved in and images shared by her online show the extent of the spread in January 2021.
The photos show a huge patch of mould on a wall with a form of fungus growing out of it and rotting window ledges.
She says despite the housing association coming out to paint over the problems, it has persisted.
She said: ‘They came out and covered it in some special paint but its still so damp and cold.
‘I just keep bursting into tears, I think I am a good mum but I need to do whatever I can to keep her healthy and safe.
‘I need to be moved to somewhere else. I try and keep us out of the flat as much as I can, I never want to be here. I’m at my wits end with it all.
‘Is it going to take another child to die before changes are made? People are being let down by the system.’
The mum contacted local councillor Steve Munby about the situation and he said: ‘I haven’t seen conditions like this in social housing since the early 80s. I’m not easily shocked but this is completely unacceptable.
‘A very young child has been left in these conditions for over a year. The landlord should hang their head in shame. We only need to look at the recent case in Rochdale to see what this can lead to.’
A spokesperson for Sanctuary said: ‘We can reassure Miss Dutton that we are committed to fully resolving this issue as soon as possible and that we understand why it is causing her concern.
‘Significant work was undertaken and completed at Ms Dutton’s property last week to address the areas of mould and damp and on Wednesday (November 30) a senior surveyor carried out a further inspection to investigate the potential cause of any underlying issues.
‘Following this inspection, Miss Dutton has been provided with an update on the additional work that we are now planning to carry out for her.’
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