A disabled Lanarkshire grandad, who is a wheelchair-user, says he has been confined to living in his bedroom after his home flooded two months ago.
David Doris, who has had both his legs amputated, is still waiting for the council to carry out repairs following a burst pipe in his Airdrie home.
The 52-year-old was in the living room of his Plains flat, near Airdrie, on December 16 when water started pouring down through the ceiling, walls and out the light fitting after a pipe burst in an upstairs property, the Daily Record reports.
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He had to go live with a relative for over a month while North Lanarkshire Council workers attempted to dry out and repair the damage to three rooms in his home. And despite being told he could move back in on January 19, David told how he discovered his flat remained in a state of disrepair with the walls still being ‘wet’.
The grandad-of-three, who worked as a taxi driver for 25 years before losing his legs to vascular disease, now fears for his physical and mental health. He said: “I feel like I’m being messed around something stupid. I’m totally depressed and at the end of my tether.
“I’m desperate but it seems like no one can make a decision on how to fix it. The upstairs flat, which is a private let, had been lying empty since last summer. During the cold snap in December, I was sitting watching TV when the water started pouring down the walls, through the ceiling light and through the smoke alarms.
“My living room and kitchen were totally flooded out. I had to go and stay with my mother that night because the power went out. I stayed away for more than a month so they could start the repair work but not a thing was done apart from them stripping the lining paper.
“My living room suite and carpets were all ruined. I’m now basically living in the bedroom with bottles of water, my kettle and my television. My living room and my hall are all bare with no carpets and some of the walls are still wet.
“They did re-paper one of the walls but it was still wet so it just peeled off around four or five days later. They were supposed to be out last Friday morning but no one appeared. Then two joiners arrived and said they were sent round to empty the dehumidifiers.
“One minute they say they’re going to paper the walls again, the next they’re going to plaster. But nothing gets done. We’re just going round in circles but this has been going on for two months now.
“My home insurance has paid out and I’ve paid for new carpets but I’ve had to cancel the fitters because the repair work still isn’t completed. I think it’s starting to affect my health as well because I’ve developed a nasty cough since living in this damp house.
“I’ve had a bad chest before and have had three heart attacks as well so I really don't need this.”
North Lanarkshire Council has said work will now begin to strip back the wet plaster by their contractor.
A spokesperson said: “We have been working with Mr Doris following flood damage to his property and have been assisting him with the drying out process using dehumidifiers. Today, a joint visit was made with ourselves and our contractors, Mears Ltd, where a further inspection of the plasterwork took place.
“Some areas of the plasterwork were still returning readings indicating a moisture content within the plaster, which is preventing the decoration of the property being completed.
“The matter was discussed with our tenant and his sister, and a Mears plasterer will attend tomorrow (Tuesday 21st February) to commence the stripping back of the wet plaster from the affected areas and to re-plaster to allow subsequent redecoration. All works are expected to be completed by Monday 27th February 2023.”
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