A DESPERATE dad who has been forced to live in a mouldy and leaking flat is terrified that his children could die because of the “hellish” conditions.
Wayne Martin-Thomas, 39, has lived in the property with his partner Ana Maria Dumea and two young daughters but fears that the ceiling of the apartment in Streatham, South West London, will cave in.
The chef moved into the property three years ago when it was a new build, but multiple leaks have left huge holes in the walls and sodden walls with mould growing all over.
His two daughters, one-year-old Maya and six-month-old Selean, have both been suffering from colds and respiratory problems because of the mould.
Speaking to The Sun, he said: “We got a leak about seven months ago, and nothing was done to fix it at all.
“That is what started the mould growing, a builder came but he just put holes in the walls and claimed that it would dry it out.
“But now you can see the pipes and there is just water coming out of everywhere. The wall has started falling down as has the ceiling.
“If it falls on me or my girlfriend we’ll be hurt but if it falls on my kids then it could kill them.
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I was fed up of my kids complaining I never buy them anything so showed them
“All the builders do is come and take pictures because they say that they need permission from Peabody to do something about it but they never do.
“I am having to collect seven buckets of water a day and flush them away because of the leaks or else the flat would be flooded.
“It’s an absolute death trap and a hell hole, and we are just at our wits end with it.”
The ceiling in the property, rented by housing association Peabody Homes, has been called a serious safety risk.
Huge blooms of green mould are growing up and down the walls, which have been worsening in the past few weeks.
The family are now dreading spending Christmas in the flat, despite their fear that parts of the structure could collapse.
Wayne added: “Both of my daughters have constantly got colds and are struggling to breathe because of the leaks and mould.
“We can’t heat up the house at all, we can’t decorate it for Christmas because everything gets ruined by the mould.
'DISGUSTING'
“It’s disgusting that Peabody would leave an adult in these conditions let alone a child. They keep getting sick and the hospital has told us it’s because of the mould.
“It’s just too much and something has to give, we need them to sort it out. It’s making our lives hell.”
Peabody Housing Association has confirmed that they will be moving the family to emergency housing as soon as possible.
A spokeswoman for Peabody told The Sun: "We are very sorry for the distress caused by this issue. No one should have to live in these conditions, and we sincerely apologise to the family for their experience.
"We do not own the building but are working closely with the freeholder to understand the cause of the leak and support the necessary repairs.
"We are arranging alternative accommodation for the family today whilst we work with the freeholder to resolve the leak before we can complete an effective repair inside the home.
"We will also send a surveyor to visit neighbouring homes in the block to make sure the leak is not affecting other families.
"We understand how distressing it can be to live with damp and mould. We have a new specialist team in place, and it is our priority to make sure everyone has a warm, safe and dry home."
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