A family say a combination of mould in their home and inadequate heating “ruined” their Christmas after three of their children became hospitalised.
Gemma Ewing says black mould is rife in the property her family rent from West Dumbartonshire Council (WDC), which is putting her family's health at risk.
Gemma, who shares the Overburn Crescent home in Dumbarton with her partner Thomas Burrows, says the cold, damp property has left her children with breathing problems.
The mum says that her six-year-old and twins aged 16 months all needed hospital treatment, with only her four-year-old not requiring medical intervention.
Gemma's mum and the children's grandmother, Yvonne Clark, says WDC should take responsibility for the youngsters' ill health.
Yvonne told the Lennox Herald, in quotes reported by the Daily Record: “Both my grandson and the twins have been in hospital with bronchiolitis.
“My grandson had to be taken to hospital because he woke up screaming. He was cold to touch.
“The hand of my 16-month-old granddaughter is blue because there isn’t an effective heating system in my daughter’s house to allow her to keep her four children warm enough, which in turn, is creating an environment that is allowing the black mould to spread, and the illnesses that go along with this.
“This week alone my daughter and three out of my four grandchildren have been put on antibiotics as they cannot shift their illness.
“This should have been sorted before, it has ruined my grandchildren’s Christmas.”
It comes weeks after West Dunbartonshire councillors unanimously backed a call for extra safeguards to be put in place over mould following the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale.
The family moved into the house in August 2021 and Yvonne said it had been a “nightmare” from the start, claiming that mouldy walls were covered up with wallpaper.
In an email to the council, Gemma stated: “It is evident that the council did not clean the existing black mould prior to covering it up with wallpaper.
“This is a complaint because this issue was evident before being given this tenancy, and the council chose not to deal with the issue effectively.
“I am not willing to allow substandard housing to affect the health of myself, my partner and our children, and I expect to hear from you with the agreement for all of the above to be carried out timeously.
“The works order states the finished wall will be painted/papered, with no mention of plastered. You are NOT papering over it. You’ve already tried to cover it up once.
“You are a disgrace.”
The family say they need to turn the central heating on for six hours to reach a temperature of 19 degrees, which is costing them a fortune.
Gemma says she has experienced numerous other problems since moving in, including her bathroom flooring having to be replaced, due to a faulty bath, and her rent not being sorted correctly, resulting in her becoming hundreds of pounds in arrears.
A WDC spokesperson said: “We are sorry this tenant is unhappy with the service.
“While this issue was not noted by the tenant on her entry to the property, as soon as we were made aware, it was treated as a priority.
“We have been unable to resolve this as quickly as we would have liked, and there have been cancelled appointments from the tenant, but we are liaising closely with her, and all necessary repairs, including replacement of radiators, installation of an additional radiator, and dampness treatments, have been scheduled for early next year.
“We will continue to provide support and assistance until this matter is fully resolved.”
