Reading housing horror for mum with mouldy flat

Debbie Davis, a 63-year-old mother from Reading, has black mould growing at her home in Saxon Court, a block of flats in Rupert Street.

Ms Davis suffers with COPD a breathing condition that requires her to use an inhaler. She fears the mould is making her illness worse and medics agree.

Saxon Court is managed by the Stonewater housing association which has attempted to resolve the issue. However, any attempts at a resolution have so far failed, leaving Ms Davis with mould growing throughout the property and constant damp.

Ms Davis said: “I’ve told housing this place is going to kill me, and a week later I was rushed into hospital.

“They told my children I wouldn’t make it.”

Her son, Keron Porter, 41, said: “Me and my brother and sister were the first ones there [in hospital].

“The doctor told us if mum doesn’t get better within 24 hours they’re going to have to put her into a medically induced coma.

“That was a point where everyone thought their lives were collapsing around them.

“Mum is the backbone of the family. That in itself was devastating.”

eron Porter and his mother at the mould stricken flat in Reading. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Ms Davis was in hospital for eight days after admission in August, and most recently was admitted on Sunday, October 9. She has since returned home.

Photos taken by Mr Porter show walls and skirting boards stricken with mould throughout the house where Ms Davis lives with her partner Richard Easton, 52.

Mr Easton said: “You can put a pair of shoes under the bed in two weeks its covered in green mould. We can’t  live like this, it’s not fair.”

The couple use single plug sockets in each room as damp has made other sockets unusable.

Mould stricken flat in Saxon Court, Reading. Credit: Keron Porter

Mr Porter supplied a medical note from a Dr Yvonne West, respiratory consultant who treated his mum. The note mentions aspergillosis, which is a condition that causes respiratory problems as a result of inhaling mould.

While it is not dangerous to healthy people, it can be for those with lung conditions like Ms Davis.

Dr West wrote that viewing Mr Porter’s photos she could see the mould is “quite extensive, and may well be driving her lung disease”.  She has supplied antibiotics and steroids, but Dr West concluded Ms Davis’ condition would likely deteriorate due to her living in a mouldy flat.

READ MORE: Tilehurst mum's mould stricken flat still not sorted five months on

Stonewater has attempted to resolve the issue by conducting damp mould injection work. However, the tenants say the mould has since re-appeared.

Ms Davis said: “I’ve been trying for years to get out of here, because of the damp, because of my illness.

“I can’t walk to the kitchen and back without being out of breath.”

Mould stricken flat in Saxon Court, Reading. Credit: Keron Porter

The pair have made attempts to move away from the property but are unclear whether the move needs to be arranged by Stonewater or Reading Borough Council.

Ms Davis said she’s being sent “back and forth” between the two, and does have a bid with the council.

Mr Porter, who lives in Bracknell, said: “In the time of mum bidding she could be dead, it could take another six to 12 months to find a property they accept her on.

“They’re basically pushing mum from pillar to post. If I’m honest, mum is housed with Stonewater, so it should be them.”

The family understands that Ms Davis could move to Bracknell, or to a property in Whitley close to her daughter. However, these moves would need to be arranged by local authorities.

READ MORE: Mum's housing nightmare as sinks become blocked

A Reading Borough Council spokesperson said that the responsibility for Saxon Court and Ms Davis’ housing lies with Stonewater.

A Stonewater spokesman said: ‘We’re really sorry to hear about Mr Porter’s mother’s experience and are working hard to put things right.

“The original leak has been fixed but unfortunately the remedial work to rectify the damage caused isn’t up to the standards we expect.

“We have already planned to return on October 25 to complete a full electrical check and then again on the October 28, when we have a day allocated to treat any mould present and complete the necessary redecoration.

“In the longer term, we share Mr Porter’s concerns about on-going issues at Saxon Court.

“Our repairs team are in the process of doing a thorough review to better

understand how we can identify patterns and likely causes of future leaks.

“Through improving our knowledge and planned maintenance we hope to avoid recurring problems in future, and the associated distress we know this causes.”