A Wiltshire mum has been forced to move her children out their flat to protect them from damp and mould.
Fay Rawkins, of Hurricane Road in Melksham, sent her four-month-old daughter and one-year-old son to her friend’s house over a week ago because they were suffering from bronchitis.
She says that the mould is so severe it has made their health conditions worse and claims they have improved since leaving the flat. Ms Rawkins maintains she has reported the mould multiple times to her housing association, Stonewater, although they deny this.
She said: “When they’re here they’re really ill. They’ve got coughs and colds and they’ve both had bronchitis. Since they’ve been at my friend’s they’re coughing less and getting better.
“It makes me feel really depressed and I fell like I’m not a good mother because I can’t do anything to get them out of this situation. I feel like a terrible mother because my kids are always poorly… it’s affecting my mental health massively.”
Ms Rawkins says that her partner is currently in intensive care with pneumonia and the flu. She believes the flat has contributed to this as doctors have found “mould in his lungs.”
She has lived in the flat for nearly three years and claims the mould has been a persistent problem.
Stonewater insist Ms Rawkins has not reported an issue since 2021.
Assistant director of operations Ann Brookes said: “We are really sorry that Ms Hawkins has damp and mould in her home. We proactively wrote to customers last year who we knew had previously experienced damp and mould, in February 2022 in Ms Hawkins case, but we hadn’t received a response to say that there were any ongoing problems.
“In August 2021 we treated the mould that had been present and completed follow up works to replace the heating and ventilation system.
“Following this recent report of a reoccurrence of the problem, we have attempted to contact Ms Hawkins and have instructed a damp and mould specialist contractor to survey her home and will act on any recommendations they identify.”
The mould in Ms Rawkins’ flat is most severe in the bedroom she shares with her partner and children. Mould has grown both on the walls and on the floor and has begun to grow around the bed.
Ms Rawkins has also had to throw away several possessions, such as clothes, a baby mat and a pram, because mould has grown onto them.
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