A gran who was forced to spend months living in a hotel after her council house was flooded with sewage water claims her new home is full of black mould that's making her ill.
Photographs taken in Joanne Smith's home show significant black mould across the walls and ceiling, and a pile of rubbish in the garden. The 55-year-old moved into the property in December last year but said the two-bedroom semi-detached property is blighted by mould and damp.
It's owned by Gateshead Council, who Joanne claims just put wallpaper over the top of the mould to mask the problem in December but this is now coming off due to the wet walls. The gran of five has complained repeatedly to the Labour-controlled authority since but feels like she's "banging [her] head off a brick wall".
Joanne had hoped her new home would be a fresh start after spending more than four months living in a hotel in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, while undergoing chemotherapy for stage 3 VIN (vulval intraepithelial neoplasia). However, she says her dreams were quickly dashed when she discovered black mould and damp had riddled her hallway.
Black mould on walls of Joanne Smith's Gateshead Council house (Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)The mother, who has asthma and COPD, said she ended up spending Boxing Day and New Year's Day in hospital with severe chest infections and blamed the conditions in the house.
Life on one of the UK's cheapest streets where homes sell for just £25,000
Joanne told Chronicle Live: "When I've complained about it all I was told 'well if you stopped ringing up it will get stored' and 'too many cooks spoil the broth', they're not bothered.
"I have been ill since I have moved in here. I moved in on December 18 and was taken into hospital on December 26 and was put on antibiotics. I was taken into hospital again on New Year's Eve and didn't go home until New Year's Day night.
"I have been on eight lots of antibiotics, three lots of steroids, had three CT scans, and five X-rays all for my asthma and COPD [in that time]. I have had asthma and COPD for years but I have never been on as many antibiotics and steroid tablets and chest X-rays as I have from December up to now. I have had a constant chest infection since the day I moved in."
Joanne, who says the chemotherapy has left her with a weak immune system, said Gateshead Council carried out an inspection on December 20 after she raised concerns and promised to carry out emergency repairs. However, she claims that the wallpaper was just put over the top to mask the problem which is now coming off due to the wet walls.
"The black mould has been going up the wall in the hallway since I moved in but I only discovered the mould at the top of the stairs on February 5. I found the council spec sheet and it says just to stick the wallpaper over the top of it."
Joanne, 55, says the mould has been making her ill (Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)Joanne said she contacted the council again about the mould and damp on February 6 and is waiting for someone to come and inspect it. And that's not all, as she said there is also fly-tipped rubbish in the garden that the council has yet to remove and a leak in the roof.
She claims she has also had to fork out for new doors and skirting boards which were damaged by the mould. It's the final straw for Joanne who told ChronicleLive in September last year how her previous council house had flooded for a third time and contaminated with sewage from a cracked soil pipe. She said: "I'm just banging my head off a brick wall with them [Gateshead Council]."
Gateshead Council said they were aware of the issues raised by Joanne and planned to carry out repairs. A spokesperson said: "We are aware of the issues at the property, and are working with the tenant to resolve them as soon as possible."
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