Mum's ten year long battle living in mould-ridden Sutton house

Tracey Long moved into her home on Meden Cresent, Ashfield in 2008, and soon discovered mould in the upstairs bedrooms.

Tracey said: “I’ve had to throw away hundreds of pounds worth of clothes, I don’t buy my sons cheap clothes and they just get ruined.”

Tracey’s problems started as soon as she moved into the property.

Although the company that manages her home, Places for People have taken steps to prevent the mould, such as fitting loft insulation and cleaning out the gutters, Tracey said that they have accused her of causing the damp.

She said: “They told me it was down to my cooking and drying clothes in the house. It can’t be that, as I always have my windows open and I have a dryer in my shed.”

She added: “I thought I could sort the issue, I use a mould and mildew spray but as it bleaches my paint I’m having to decorate twice a year.”

Tracey, who is a mum of two boys aged fourteen and sixteen, can’t be sure where the mould is coming from.

She added: “Under the windows in the bedroom, the plaster is just dropping to bits because of the damp. A workman did come out to look, and there was no cavity wall insulation in the bedrooms.

“I’ve had a long battle with Places for People. Not only aremy bedroom walls covered in black mould, it’s all around the toilet at the bottom.”

Tracey has also had to throw away £300 worth of clothes recently, as she took them out of her wadrobe and they were covered in white mould.

A spokeswoman for Places for People said: “The wellbeing of our customers is a top priority and we are working with Mrs Long to resolve the issue.

“We have provided Mrs Long with advice on how to reduce condensation in her home and have offered to fit insulated plasterboard to the window reveals to help manage any condensation.

We have spoken with Mrs Long and arranged a cavity walls survey to be carried out on Wednesday next week to identify any other potential issues.”