Mother and daughter 'trapped' inside mouldy flat

A mother has said she and her five-year-old daughter are "trapped" in a mould-ridden flat that they cannot afford to leave.

Jade Symonds has rented the property in Ashford, Surrey, for more than six years and said black mould had been a "recurring problem" since she moved in.

She claimed that damp was now so severe it was "ruining clothes, bedding and furniture" and leaving her child with a cough and repeated trips to the doctor.

Spelthorne Borough Council said its environmental health team inspected the property in December and had been liaising with the landlord about improvements that were identified, while the landlord declined to comment.

A council spokesperson added: "Our housing team has also given advice to the tenant. We will continue to monitor the situation closely."

Symonds said the monthly rent was £1,350, with much of the cost covered by housing support.

She added that she was "mentally drained" from the situation and was "spending hundreds more" on heating bills and replacing damaged belongings.

"My electric bills are £300 a month and environmental health just says keep the heating on," she said.

Ms Symonds said that council environmental health officers had inspected the flat multiple times but ruled it met the official threshold for habitation.

She said the situation had "left everyone stuck", adding that she had been on the council housing register for about five years but was in a low priority band as she had already secured housing.

The single mother added that if she left the flat, she could be classed as "intentionally homeless" and lose her place on the list.

The landlord is going through legal proceedings to formally end the tenancy through a Section 21, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, Symonds said the process had stalled as there was council involvement linked to the property's condition.

"I feel completely stuck," she said. "How do they expect anyone to live like this?"

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