Mum desperate for city council action on her Landport house says a bathroom leak is causing her daughter’s health to suffer

Ying Cao and her 11 year old daughter have lived in their current home for four years.

The mum says that a leak has caused black mould to grow in her house, leaving dampness in the bathroom and nasty fumes wafting throughout the property.

However, the city council says that there are only ‘cosmetic’ works left to be completed, and that it has already dealt with issues in the house.

Ying said: ‘We can’t get into the toilet or use the shower because the spots in the air make us feel sick, faint, we can’t breathe, we have heart pain and stinging dry throat - we can sometimes taste the blood.’

Ying says her daughter, who has allergies, began complaining of breathing problems, heart pain, sore throat, headaches, dizziness and sickness after moving into the house.

She said: ‘It has made my daughter’s symptoms much worse, and I’ve started to have those symptoms too.

‘She says ‘Mummy, I can’t breathe’ - she complains more and more. I feel so guilty for my daughter.

‘We are staying in the communal garden as much as we can to avoid those terrible smells’

Ying says that she contacted the housing office but was told that the family would not be moved out.

She said: ‘It is not a healthy, safe living condition at all for us.

‘I think we should be moved out and the council should carry out this work as soon as possible for me and my daughter's health and wellbeing.’

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A spokesperson from Portsmouth City Council said that it visited the property earlier this year and carried out a series of minor repairs.

Later, another visit discovered significant damage to the bathroom, including the removal of tiles, plasterboard and dry lining.

The spokesperson said: ‘A surveyor and a specialist floor contractor have both visited in the past few weeks, to assess what work needs to be carried out to remedy this.

‘Inspections have found there is no ongoing leak.

‘We have now arranged for the repairs to the bathroom to be addressed over the next two weeks.

‘Any immediate issues have been rectified and the outstanding works are cosmetic.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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