'Two years of hell' for couple in mouldy home

A couple has accused a housing association of ignoring serious health concerns after enduring "two years of hell" with damp and mould.

Darrell Richardson, from Mount Pleasant in Bracknell, has stage five renal kidney failure and is awaiting a transplant.

His wife, Kirsty, said they lived with damp and mould for two years, with one wall in their home looking like "filo pastry".

Southern Housing has apologised to the couple and said it sorted the issue on Monday.

The couple, both out of work for health reasons, first moved into their home in January 2023.

By July they began to notice damp and mould on the wall of their flat, situated on the top floor.

The problem was temporarily fixed that month but it soon came back, and four visits from surveyors over several months became a "game of cat and mouse", according to Mrs Richardson.

The 31-year-old believes it contributed towards her husband's "decline" in health and said it had also been "mentally exhausting" for her.

A Southern Housing spokesperson said: "We appreciate how upsetting and disruptive it can be to live with issues like damp and mould and we want to apologise to Mr and Mrs Richardson for the impact this has had on their daily lives.

"We acknowledge and are sorry for the issues Mr and Mrs Richardson have faced historically."

The association added the health and safety of residents was a "top priority" and that it was making "significant improvements" to services, with a £1.4m investment into addressing damp and mould last year.

Speaking after contractors visited her home, Mrs Richardson said: "I would love an apology personally, after two years of hell.

"My husband's health wasn't a priority in any of this. He's had this condition since the age of 18 and they knew exactly about it when we first moved in. Even that wasn't enough to do anything."

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