Acomb mum says York council flat is covered in mould

Ellie Tatterfield moved into a top floor flat in The Reeves apartments in Acomb with her partner and their two year old daughter last year, and she says they first noticed the mould the week before Christmas.

She said the council came out to help them clear it, but then four weeks later it came back "10 times worse".

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City of York Council said it worked with residents to remedy mould as soon as possible.

Ellie said: "I've never seen mould like this. The mould is in the bedrooms and the living room, everywhere but the bathroom, and it smells of damp and stinks of mould.

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"I tried to remove the black mould from behind the wallpaper in the living room, it was thick and fluffy, and I can’t wipe it all away because it grows back fast.

"The bed is covered in mould from the wall, we had to buy another bed but the same thing happened again and it is drenched from the damp.

"Me and my daughter can barely sleep, we wheeze and struggle to breathe when we are laid down and trying to go to sleep so we have all moved into the living room to sleep at night."

The mould in Ellie's home (Image: Ellie Tatterfield)

Ellie says she and her daughter have gone to see the GP, claiming the mould is causing "bad coughs and croaky throats".

She and her partner have contacted the council repeatedly to be rehoused, she said, adding they had been advised to keep wiping the mould and move their furniture.

Ellie said she gets out of the flat as much as she can. "I can’t have my daughter live here," she said.

"I’m fed up and depressed, we can’t stay here, I’d rather be put into a hostel if we are not rehoused.

"I just want to move, this is too much and it would take a massive job to fix all this."

The mould in Ellie's flat (Image: Ellie Tatterfield)

Michael Jones, head of housing delivery and asset management at City of York Council, said: "Mould can be a common issue in many homes involving a number of factors. When issues are reported, we work with residents to remedy it as soon as possible.

"Where there are severe problems, we address them in ways which can include cleaning the mould with anti-fungicidal treatments, moving radiators to improve the circulation of warmer air around the home, or insulating walls, to raise their temperature and prevent condensation.

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"Since 2016, the council has invested around £7.8 million to tackle damp and mould issues with a further £2.06 million planned to improve 440 council homes with new energy efficiency measures over the coming two years.

"Besides offering appointments to assess and repair a home, we offer advice and information, and can offer eligible tenants fuel vouchers to help them adequately heat their homes.

"Those wishing to move to another home can apply through Open Housing or arrange an exchange.”