Mum ‘offered little help’ by Havering Council over mouldy flat

A mum-of-four who lives in a mouldy Havering Council home says she has been “helplessly” reaching out to them for years.

Sophie Tysall, 31, has been living in Oundle House, Montgomery Crescent in Harold Hill since 2018.

She said the home has been persistently damp and claimed her family’s wellbeing has worsened due to the mould.

Picture of mould in Sophie’s bedroom (Image: Sophie Tysall)

One of her children has asthma and another has been having seizures, she said.

In addition to the mould and the damp, last week Sophie said they found silverfish insects coming out of the floor of their bedroom.

Silverfish can be found in moist areas, with one council saying their presence indicates damp conditions.

Read More: Harold Hill salon owner slams Havering Council over mould

She said: “The boys came in to me and said, ‘Mummy there are animals in my room’.

“I went and checked and saw loads of silverfish.

Sophie has been living in the mouldy property with her children since 2018 (Image: Sophie Tysall)

“I have had to put their clothes away because silverfish have been on their clothes too and we can’t use that bedroom.”

She claimed to have been offered little help from the council and said she has been “helplessly” reaching out to them for years.

She said: “I have given them doctor’s letters, school letters, have tried to get it repaired…I have literally done everything. I am coming to a point where I don’t know what more I can do.”

The council, she claimed, continue to suggest her to bid for places and has provided her no alternative accommodation.

Mould is also persistent in their toilet, Sophie said (Image: Sophie Tysall)

Even when she does bid, Sophie said, she is way behind in the queue to “ever be able to make it”.

“It’s not fair on my children. At the end of the day, they are being brought up in a house that’s not healthy enough for them.”

Responding to these allegations, a spokesperson for Havering Council has said the council has carried out “multiple detailed property inspections”.

The damp wall in the bedroom has reportedly worsened their family’s health (Image: Sophie Tysall)

The council, they said, has not identified “any underlying issues causing the mould build up”.

The issue in Sophie’s residence, they added, appears to be caused by condensation within the home which the council says is likely to be linked to the number of residents living in the property.

The spokesperson said: “The council takes mould complaints seriously and we understand that this can be distressing for tenants.

“Unfortunately, there is a high demand for family-sized homes in Havering, and we have a robust allocations system in place that ensures a fair chance for everyone in need of housing.”

The council has reviewed Sophie’s case and confirmed that she is in the correct banding to bid for houses “when they become available”.

In the meantime, they added, it will continue to work with Sophie to tackle the mould issue through a regular mould wash programme and steps she can take to stop the build-up.