Family-of-7 trapped in ‘mouldy two-bed council flat infested with rats’ for 10 years

A FAMILY-of-seven say they have been trapped in a "mouldy, rat-infested" two-bedroom flat for a decade.

Adrian Paisey and partner Lucy Neale, who live in Bristol, have branded the past 10 years "nothing but hell" and claim the safety of their kids is being put at risk by the damp conditions in their home.

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The couple say they've been pushed from "pillar to post" by both their local council in Withywood and their housing association after reporting the ongoing issues.

Mr Paisey, 33, says they are in desperate need of a bigger home, reports

“It's been an ongoing thing for a few years and rats are now starting to come into the property and Curo is doing nothing about it," he said.

“With the colder weather, the rats are digging holes through the walls and running around in our kitchen ceiling."

Mr Paisey said the housing association, Curo, came out two years ago to treat the mould and damp with a 10-year guarantee that it would not return.

Curo has insisted it will do all it can to resolve issues, adding that overcrowding is the likely cause of the mould formation because of an accumulation of condensation.

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A spokesperson for the association said: “We’re sorry that the family is experiencing these problems in their home.

“Last year we carried out a programme of damp and mould treatment at the property and installed a ventilation system to minimise condensation.

"We’ve arranged for a specialist surveyor to visit this week so we can assess the problem, agree on a treatment programme and identify what else we can do to prevent mould coming back.”

But Mr Paisey claims nothing has been done about the pest infestation in his family's home.

Curo responded: “Mould and pests have been reported to us in the past and each time we’ve become aware of this we’ve taken prompt action.

“When pests like rats are reported in shared areas, we bring in pest control contractors and this specialist firm is currently carrying out a treatment programme across the building.”

Mr Paisey says his one-year-old son Jenson has multiple health complications, including cysts on his brain and respiratory difficulties.

'HOUSING CRISIS'

A respiratory paediatrician reportedly told the couple they needed to move to more appropriate accommodation as soon as possible.

Mr Paisey says an environmental health officer from Bristol City Council then visited their flat and gave them a “hazard warning via awareness of overcrowding”.

But the dad says they are still waiting to be moved to a bigger home - with some 16,000 people reportedly on the council's housing register waiting list.

A spokesperson for the council said: “We work hard to find clean, safe homes for applicants on Bristol’s HomeChoice housing register, with each case being assessed individually.

“This includes taking care to ensure that their banding on the register reflects the urgency of their needs, where those needs become more immediate additional priority is placed on their application.

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“We are taking action to maximise the city’s limited housing stock, while working with our partners in the sector to make the most of available housing. The ongoing housing crisis and impacts of the pandemic are putting continual pressure on families to find suitable accommodation."

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