Mouldy mugs and sodden carpets for Dudley Council flat residents left waiting for help
Two Black Country residents living in damp-infested properties have spoken of their anger at the lack of help they have received from their council.
Water rushing through the ceiling, mould-covered mugs, and sodden carpets are just some of the nuisances Wayne Riley and John Fones have had to endure over the last six months.
Wayne Riley, a 35-year-old machine fitter, lives on Cromwell Street and says his flat is like a "mud yard" due to water rushing through his ceiling.
Mr Riley reported the issue in October but believes the problem has been building over the last 18 months.
He said: "It's got to the point where I'm dreading coming home from work to see what it's like. I've got last night's rain running down the wall.
"It's like a mud yard - walking on the carpet is like stepping into mud and if I touch the wall, it leaves an imprint of my hand."
Mr Riley believes the issue is with the roof of his and his neighbour's property which uses felt as part of its structure and will therefore need replacing every few years.
The council has since put scaffolding up outside where the leak is believed to be, but water is still coming into Mr Riley's property.
The problem reached new heights on Boxing Day, when the water started to rain down on a plug socket.
"Overall the council have been really lethargic about everything," Mr Riley said. "It took three days for someone to come and disconnect the live plug."
"I want to come home at the end of the day and relax in my flat and I can't do that. I have my son at weekends but I don't want to bring him back to this."
Meanwhile John Fones lives on Netherby Road in Sedgley and first discovered damp in his flat six months ago, which he reported to Dudley Council.
The flat was inspected twice but John says he then heard nothing for months.
"It's been a terrible service. When they took photos of it six months ago, I thought something would be done, but I heard nothing," the 50-year-old said.
"I've tried cleaning it. It's having a big impact on my health, I'm already disabled and now I'm having difficulty breathing."
The damp is prevalent in Mr Fones' bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen - and covers all of his mugs.
When contacted by the Express & Star, Dudley Council said they would install an extractor fan in the property and have since started visiting to carry out paint work.
However, Mr Fones fears he will not be able to afford the electricity required to run the extraction fan.
He said: "I have nerve ending damage and I'm on a Carer's Allowance which gives me £67 a week. My electricity needs a pre-payment card.
"I won't be able to install the fan because I can't afford the electric bill."
Dudley councillor Laura Taylor-Childs, the cabinet member for housing and community services, said the authority was aware of both cases and working with the tenants to solve the issues.
She added: "One of the properties should have already had anti-mould paint and a mechanical extractor fan installed, however our operatives could not gain access to the property.
"We are committed to agreeing a new date with the tenant to get this work completed.
"The tenant has also been provided with useful information around preventing condensation in a property, which can exacerbate damp issues, and we will be undertaking further work to investigate the underlying issue.
“Any issues whereby water is getting in a property must be dealt with urgently.
"In this case our teams reacted promptly when we first became aware of the issue around Christmas 2021 to ensure the electrics were safe. Further works are due to be done to ensure this issue does not recur.”
