Family living in mouldy Wiltshire flat are moved to new home

A family living in a mouldy flat have been moved to a new home after concerns for the children's health.

Noorullah Hashmi, who lived with his family in a housing association flat in Great Bedwyn near Marlborough, said his young sons had been ill multiple times.

There was standing water in the sitting room, as well as mouldy walls and ceilings.

The family, originally from Afghanistan, have now been moved to a new Aster Group home in Ramsbury.

Hashmi said: "I feel fantastic. We can start a happy life now."

Helping them move was Linda Orchard, their neighbour from Great Bedwyn who supported the family's fight to move into a dry house.

"It's beautiful. I am just so happy they have ended up with such a lovely home," she said.

"They now have a home that is worthy of them."

Hashmi, his wife Honey, and their two boys, Altan, aged two, and Alman, one, had been living in the Aster Group home for 21 months.

During that time more than 30 maintenance staff visited the flat without being able to solve the problem.

The family had video and photographs showing the floors soaked with water and mould growing up the walls in all the rooms and on the ceilings.

Condensation ran down the windows, and clothes, soft toys, furniture and mattresses were damaged by mould and had to be thrown away.

The housing association said it had organised for repairs to take place but has now moved the family out of the flat.

A recent inquest in Manchester heard how the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak was directly linked to his exposure to mould in a flat.

Ms Orchard said: "They are absolutely over the moon. I never dreamt when we started all this that it would happen as quickly as it has."

Honey said: "I am really happy and very excited because I have a good bungalow now.

"I thank Linda for supporting me a lot.

"My kids are happy and feel good and the bungalow is warm and has a nice carpet, nice furniture - everything is very good. I am really happy, really happy."

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