Damp WGC flat ‘caused my baby to develop asthma’
A DISTRAUGHT council tenant who lives in a damp-riddled flat has hit out at social housing chiefs after her young son developed asthma.
An upset Laura Caulfield called the WHT after baby Oliver, who turned one on Sunday, was diagnosed with the breathing condition.
The youngster may now need to use an inhaler for the rest of his life.
And Laura is convinced the damp at her flat in Aldbury Grove, WGC, is to blame.
The 21-year-old, who lives with her carpet fitter husband Ricky, said: “There is no history of asthma in either family.
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“I believe it is to do with the damp in our main bedroom.
“Every night Oliver is wheezing and waking up coughing and crying.”
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Laura, who also has a three-year-old daughter called Honey, said her flat had been plagued with damp and mould ever since she moved in in September 2006.
She said: “We have had furniture that we have had to throw away because it fell apart.
“I have a dehumidifier that I run most of the time but it is quite expensive.”
She added: “The smell doesn’t go away no matter what.
“The council advised me to keep my windows open and dry my clothes outside, but this isn’t practical in a ground-floor flat with two children.”
Laura is now in no doubt that she wants to move her family out of the flat.
“It has got to the stage where I am not happy living here,” she said. “I am worried for my son’s health.”
According to NHS Direct, asthma can be caused by a number of factors, including the environment.
A spokeswoman for Welwyn Hatfield Council said: “We are aware of reported problems with damp at the property, and have been working to try and resolve these with Ms Caulfield. She does have an active transfer application, which has been prioritised in accordance with our policy.”
