A West Lothian gran claims the damp and mould infestation in her house is severely impacting her health.
Heather Todd, 65, moved into her new-build council home in Fauldhouse in 2018 and experts are 'at a loss' as to why the problem is so bad. Heather, who has COPD and arthritis, claims she is getting nowhere with West Lothian Council.
Heather also has a letter from her doctor indicating that her living conditions may be contributing to her ill health, reports the Courier.
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The former optical assistant said: "The mould around the windows and in the toilet has been there about four years but the main issue with severe dampness and mould is in our bedroom and other parts of the house that we noticed about six months ago.
"We had an inspector out in January and then had someone out from Peter Cox which is a specialist mould and damp company in February who initially thought the problem was coming from under the floor, but this wasn't the case when that was checked.
"A month later we had the same specialist and another one come out again and they both admitted they had never seen anything like it and really didn't have any idea what was causing it.
"I've phoned repeatedly and sent e-mails to the council to try and find out where we go from here but no one is updating me on the situation even though I've sent in a doctor's letter explaining how this is affecting my health and told the council that I'm unable to sleep in either bedroom because of the mould and damp.
"I have COPD, arthritis and I suffer from anxiety, stress, and depression and my partner has asthma and this house is affecting both our physical and mental health."
Heather continued: "I worked up until covid as I was in the extremely vulnerable category so was on the shielding list and got put on furlough.
"Afterwards when the restrictions were lifted I got paid off from work as I was unable to return to my role as an optical assistant as I am unable to wear a face mask because of my respiratory condition.
"It's an actual disgrace what we are having to live in."
A spokesperson for West Lothian Council said: "We are aware of the circumstances that the tenant is experiencing.
"The council appointed an external consultant to carry out a survey at the property.
"The council has received the report from the consultant and is liaising with Ms Todd to discuss the findings and arrange the necessary repairs.
"It's expected that the repairs will be completed by the end of May."
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