Terrified Milton Keynes mum scared her sick son will die in ‘mouldy and damp flat’

A mum living in a flat “riddled with damp and mould” says she is scared her asthmatic son will die.

Little Kyden Rock is only four years old but already suffers such severe asthma that he needs a nebuliser twice a day and is admitted to hospital once a month.

A video showing him struggling to breathe – which some may find distressing – is attached to this story.

Kyden’s tiny body is also covered in eczema sores, which doctors say are caused by the poor living conditions. No amount of creams and medication seem to cure them, said his mum Demi.

"Tests have shown he’s allergic to mould and it makes his asthma and his eczema so much worse. I’m at my wits’ end and don’t know what to do,” she told the MK Citizen.

"I am terrified he will die. There’s already been a young child that’s died through living in damp and mouldy conditions. What if my son is next?”

Two-year-old Awaab Ishak died from a respiratory condition caused by extensive mould in his Greater Manchester home. After an inquest last November, Housing Secretary Michael Gove said the tragedy should never have happened and underlined the need to ensure every landlord provides decent accommodation for tenants.

Demi lives in a two-bed ground floor flat in Yorkshire Close, West Bletchley, with Kyden and his nine-year-old sister Elisa.

Her landlord is Grand Union housing association which states it is currently working with her solicitor to arrange for an independent survey of her home to take place and pledges to act on the findings.

The block of flats was only built around 11 years ago, in the grounds of the former Denbigh School, but there is a severe damp problem, says Demi, who is disabled herself with multiple health conditions.

She has complained to Grand Union repeatedly. “But when they come out to inspect they say there’s no mould. That’s because I’ve spent hours constantly scrubbing it away. I can’t risk Kyden breathing it in,” she said.

"But it’s there – all the time. Our mattresses are soaked, my furniture gets covered in mould. I wash the children’s clothes and put them away, all clean and tumble dried. Then when I get them out to dress them they are horrible and damp.

"I use a 12 litre dehumidifier and I sometimes have to empty it every hour – that’s how damp it is here.”

The children’s shoes and even their school bags are covered with mould within days of being put down in the flat, said Demi, who is 30.

She has lost count of the number of times Kyden, who also has autism and is non-verbal, has been admitted to hospital struggling to breathe.

"It’s at least once a month. It’s horrible,” she said.

She has requested a move to an alternative property but says Grand Union tell her repeatedly that they have no other properties available.

"They can’t help me so I went to the council as I was advised they have a duty for us because we are disabled. They put me on a priority waiting list but said it still could be years. We’re just stuck here, living in conditions that could be fatal for my son.”

Demi is now considering launching private court action against the council for failing her family under their Disability Act obligations to provide them with a decent and suitable home.

The Citizen asked both MK City Council and Grand Union if they could offer any help to the family.

A council spokesman said: “The council is willing to step in and help housing association tenants in situations like these, but they should first raise their complaint through the Housing Ombudsman.

"After this, we can take necessary action if the issue is still not addressed.”

He added: “We’re working on the request for council housing separately, and will allocate a suitable property as soon as it becomes available.”

Grand Union issued a lengthy statement, which read: “We changed our approach to dealing with damp and mould over a year ago, following the excellent ‘spotlight’ report written by the Housing Ombudsman Service, including setting up a dedicated team to respond to reports.

“Our technical team has visited Mrs Rock each time she has reported a reoccurrence of damp in her home and we have installed additional ventilation, on the advice of a specialist ventilation company, and provided guidance on how to manage moisture

“At our most recent inspection in January, we found some additional damp resulting from a leak from one of her toilets; this has been fixed but will need to dry out.

“We appreciate that living in a two-bed flat with two children, and some really complex medical needs, is difficult and absolutely understand her wish to move home. Our support team have previously worked with her to assist her and the local authority with her application to move, however we also have to be really honest about the pressure on the housing system. We know how high the demand for affordable housing is in Milton Keynes.

The statement concludes: “We want to be open and transparent about the decisions that we make and particularly the condition of her home and so are currently working with her solicitor to arrange for an independent survey of her home to take place. We will act on the findings of this and will continue to do everything that we can do to ensure she has a safe, secure and well-maintained home and support her to get the move she so desperately wants.”