Mum fears for son and dog over Brighton council flat mould

Maddison Fox said her eight-year-old boy Harley and their French bulldog Tinks have both experienced difficulties breathing due to the damp and mould.

She fears Tinks could die due to the conditions and that Harley's health is in danger.

Maddison, who is a single mother, said Brighton and Hove City Council housing inspectors said the place was not fit to live in - but the authority then said it could not move her as her housing officer was on holiday until Valentine’s Day.

Mould inside the council flat (Image: Supplied)

The 35-year-old said: “It’s not good enough. I’m not asking for a penthouse, I’m asking for a safe place to live.

“I have had ongoing health issues because of it [the mould] and my son was rushed to hospital. He had pneumonia and they said it was probably because of that too.

“I’m worried because my dog is potentially going to die. I just want a safe place for my kids to live.”

Maddison, who has lived with her son and daughter in Bowring Way, Brighton, for four years, said council inspectors went to inspect the property and told her it was “not suitable for us to live in”.

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She said: "The council then told us we'd have to stay because our housing officer is on holiday until February 14."

Maddison said Harley and his 14-year-old sister have been forced to share a room due to the amount of mould in one bedroom

Brighton and Hove city councillor Gill Williams said: “While we cannot comment on individual cases, we invite the resident to get in touch and we will do the best we can to help.

"We are committed to tackling mould in properties owned or leased by the council.

“Where there are persisting problems that cannot rectified by cleaning and airing we carry out a damp survey of the property.

"It is important that any tenants with such problems get in contact with us and allow our surveyors to assess the extent of any damp and mould problems as quickly as possible.

"We then carry out appropriate repairs or work with landlords to get repairs carried out on properties we lease.”