FED-UP residents have slammed the council after living in a mould-infested flat for six years.
Matthew Moore has lived in a block of flats on Cedar View in Redditch for several years and has been forced to throw away items of clothing and furniture that have become ruined by mould.
Matthew says he has contacted Redditch council, which owns the flats, countless times over the years about the mould.
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A spokesperson for the council said they are aware of the issues that have been raised and officers will be in touch with residents.
Matthew, aged 38, said “Every summer I paint and redecorate the flat and every winter the mould just comes back even worse.
“I used to own a bed with drawers underneath, but I had to throw that away as the drawers, which were full of clothes, were all mouldy.
“Every morning I wake up to a puddle of water next to my bed as it’s so damp in here, I have to wear my flip-flops.”
Neighbour and partner Patricia Hill said she does not spend any time in her flat due to dampness and mould in her kitchen which has made it ‘unliveable’.
Patricia, who is asthmatic, says the mould affects her breathing and the pair constantly have ‘a bad chest’.
“I moved in last year and in the first few weeks, someone smashed my windows," added Patricia, aged 27.
"The council boarded up the windows and they have never been replaced.
“I don’t feel safe in my flat and it’s just too damp and cold to live in.”
Matthew claims a contractor from the council came out in January last year to take images of the mould but they have not come back since.
“Last summer the council came out to fix a radiator next to the front door but the wall was too mouldy so they couldn’t do it," said Matthew.
“They stripped it back to the brick wall and it’s just been left like that.
“All my furniture is wrecked, and I can’t get rid of the smell of mould everywhere we go.
“We keep ringing the council and nothing has been done.”
A spokesperson for Redditch Borough Council said: “Across our Repairs and Maintenance Service there is now a plan in place to ensure that inspections are undertaken, and jobs are raised quickly and efficiently.
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“As part of this, our trade operatives will also have additional support from contractors, in some cases specialist contractors, to make sure that onsite repair work is undertaken in a timely manner at a mutually convenient time.
“We apologise for any delays which have occurred in the interim.”
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