I’m a ‘desperate’ mum-of-3 living in ‘hellhole’ flat full of black mould & brown water – I’m terrified my kids will DIE
A “DESPERATE” mum-of-three living in a “hellhole” flat full of black mould and brown water says she’s terrified her kids will die.
Patience Clague, 33, said her south London home has carbon monoxide leaks and mice “running the place”.
Brown water is leaking from the toilet and black mould has spread through the home.
The mum shares the flat with her kids Keshaun, 11, Iyarna, eight, and Ziquel, five.
She said her problems began the moment her family moved in nine years ago.
They made an emergency move to the flat in 2016 to escape another mould infestation at their previous home.
But the new flat also has a mould problem – including “black, toxic mould” all over the bathtub.
Patience said: “It’s disgusting, it’s like no matter what I do I can’t get the mould from around it. It’s really nasty.”
The mould has also spread through Patience’s bedroom – ruining Keshaun’s pram and making him ill when he was a baby.
She said: “To see him in hospital put on breathing machines, having to rush down there, I just can’t put it into words.
“It makes me feel like I’m not doing the best I can do as a parent, sometimes I question whether I am a good parent or not.
“I know the cause of the problems is the house but I’m powerless, I can’t do anything about it.”
The rodent infestation also makes Patience feel ill, especially as the mice aren’t scared of her.
She said the mice “run the place” and have bitten a series of tunnels in the house so severely it “resembles the Tube network”.
The brazen mice scuttle over Patience’s three kids while they sleep, she said.
Patience said the house also has carbon monoxide leaking from the dodgy boiler, which she claims is slowly poisoning her three children.
She said: “It makes me feel lightheaded and dizzy. It’s a drag to get up in the morning, and I feel like ‘bleurgh’.”
Patience pays £700 a month for the flat and said Lambeth Council fitted a new boiler in 2022 – but it has leaked twice.
The flat’s toilet makes an “engine-like” sound which can be heard from outside every time it is flushed – as well as leaking brown water.
A leaky radiator has also left a bowl-shaped dip in her bedroom floor, which she thinks one of her kids will fall through if it’s not fixed.
Patience has reported the problems to Lambeth Council more than 30 times.
She said: “I feel really p****d off. I just want a nice, normal house for me and my kids where they can have friends over to play.”
“I resent Lambeth, and I find it triggering to speak to them. It’s like speaking to a brick wall.
“They’ve failed my family as my son’s asthma would have been way better. Lambeth’s inaction could kill my son.”
Lambeth Council said: “This property has required a large amount of work.
“Our staff have visited the property on several occasions to deal with separate repairs.”
A spokesperson added: “However, this work has taken longer than we expected.
“We apologise for the frustration and inconvenience Ms Clague has experienced as a result.
“We have responded to a number of requests for repairs, and have carried out various works, including on a leak in the bathroom.
“Unfortunately, it is clear that more work is required, including on the roof of the property.
“We have scheduled a series of additional works, including a mould wash, and repairs to the leaking radiator, kitchen units, window and a leaking tap.
“We will schedule further work as soon as we have received the results of a damp survey carried out last week.
“The gas supply was capped for safety reasons in August after a leak was reported.
“We have arranged for an independent Fumes Investigation and a gas pipe re-run.”
The council said: “Providing safe, decent homes for all our tenants is our priority.
“Where any problems are brought to our attention, we are committed to dealing with them quickly and effectively.”