Council plan to tackle Wigan housing tenant's mouldy home

Dave Harrison, of Elsmbury Street in Bryn, has battled the issue for several months now, which has “left his walls black.”

Speaking on his behalf, Bryn councillor Steve Jones, said a water leak caused the mess and that for a long while Wigan Council did little to tackle it.

Coun Jones said: “Dave’s water leak happened under the sink in his council flat. The whole flat had flooded so the council came out and turned the water off. He said they’ve left it for months since then. The walls and ceiling are black with mould now.

“I’ve never seen anything like it, it’s unliveable. It’s been reported to the council but they’ve not done a lot to sort it.”

Coun Jones described the conditions Mr Harrison had been living in as “disgusting”.

He said: “I’ve had to help him out as he’s got no oven or washing machine. It really is disgusting and I want to highlight the conditions some council tenants are living in.”

The council said there had been a two-week delay from the leak happening and them carrying out the repair as Mr Harrison was away.

They therefore said they were not aware of the issue and had no opportunity to carry out the work.

But they said that once access was gained and repairs carried out, they have tried to contact Mr Harrison on three different occasion.

An assigned inspector has said he will speak to both parties about it.

They added that as the resident doesn’t have house insurance, the council has offered to replace the kitchen and floor covering but need access to remove items.

A spokesman said: “Following reports of a leak, a property inspector visited Mr Harrison’s home and detected a fault on the supply pipe to the kitchen sink which was then repaired.

“We have looked to assist Mr Harrison since the leak was first identified and reported to us. In the short term the council has arranged for a dehumidifier to be placed in his home to help with the drying out process. Furthermore, we have agreed to replace the resident’s complete kitchen and floor coverings.

“To determine whether the kitchen and flooring works can be completed safely and to assess if any further works are required, we need to remove water damaged items but have been unable to reach Mr Harrison on three different occasions since we visited.

They added: “We will once again look to contact him in the near future to gain access.”