Our kids are at risk from mouldy, damp home, claim couple

AN Ely couple fear their child's health is at risk from mould and damp in their home.

Chris Smith and Jane Dean claim their young children suffer from constant coughs and colds in the winter and blame their illnesses on their "freezing" mid terraced house.

"The children go to bed in pyjamas and have two duvets and a fleece blanket on their beds and hot water bottles because the house is so cold," said Chris from New Barns Avenue. "They always seem to have coughs and colds through the winter.

"Every room upstairs has mould and there is water running down the waterproof membrane inside the loft. But Hereward Housing Association has put the problem down to condensation, yet there is no mould in the kitchen which you would expect."

Chris claims that his youngest child six-year-old Laura spent a week in a hospital intensive care unit after contracting Kawasaki Disease - a rare blood disorder.

"The doctors were trying to find a cause and were asking if we were using mould and carpet cleaner excessively," he said.

"When we moved into the house there was mould around and one of the bedrooms had been replastered. But we just put it down to the fact that the house had been empty for six months."

Jane said: "I'm up and down to the doctor's all the time with the children. All the bedrooms are full of mould and we can't put any wallpaper on the walls."

Alan Lewin, Hereward Housing Association's director of operations, said: We are aware of this complaint.

"An environmental health officer from East Cambridgeshire District Council recently visited the property and has advised Mr Smith that the damp is due to condensation through poor circulation. Our understanding is that Mr Smith has disputed this with the council.

"We are visiting the property on May 15 to service the extractor fan to ensure it is working properly and advise the tenant on its use. We do not think there is a structural problem, more about lifestyle.