Ciara Wolstenholme said mould and damp destroyed her furniture, her daughter’s Christmas presents, clothes, and left certain rooms uninhabitable.  

The 24-year-old added that her daughter has also been unwell and suffered from chest infections during this time.

Mould and damp in a young girls room (Image: public)

After moving into a flat near Bury New Road in March last year, Ciara reported dampness and mould to her landlord, housing association Onward Homes, which said the problem was caused by a roof leak and guttering issues.

The company said the matter was solved by replastering the walls and clearing the gutters but Ciara now believes only stain blocker had been used due to mould reappearing again. 

Thinking the problem had been fixed, Ciara spent hundreds redecorating and furnishing her new home.

But the mould and damp returned and damaged the walls, floors and furnishings as well as her daughter's Christmas and birthday presents. 

She said: “My daughter is having to sleep in my room because of the damp, mould and fungus coming through.

Children's shoes with mould underneath (Image: public)

“When I’ve been checking her room, I found the whole side of the bed was soaking wet and so many of her toys and clothes had been ruined.”

The three-year-old has been staying in Ciara’s room after her mum noticed the mould and her daughter wheezing.

Ciara added that while that worked at the time, the mould and dampness has spread to her room.

Mould inside and outside Ciara's wardrobe (Image: public)

She said: “I’ve been doing everything, leaving gaps so nothing touches the walls and constantly spraying and wiping things down but it just keeps coming back.

“I was rearranging my room when I discovered mould and fungus had spread underneath and all up the back of my wardrobe.

“The Christmas and birthday presents for my daughter had all been kept in there, so when I got them out I had to bin them and try to buy more with what we had left.

“My shoes, bags everything else that was in there had also been damaged so in the end, I had to throw the wardrobe away and buy a new one.”

Warped flooring and condensation on the windows (Image: public)

Ciara decorated her home thinking the damp problems had been resolved for good but her wallpaper and laminate flooring has since been warped by the problem.

Following a complaint to Onward, new flooring is set to be installed.

However Ciara said the vinyl flooring being used is cheaper than what she initially bought and is unhappy that the extra she paid will not be reimbursed. 

A photo frame with mould on the side (Image: public)

An Onward Homes spokesperson said: “Last April, Ciara reported damp patches in parts of her home and a roof leak, which was caused by issues with the guttering.

"In response, our repairs team replastered the walls and cleared the gutters, which resolved the issue at the time.

“Unfortunately, in late November, Ciara contacted us again to report that the roof was leaking.

"We were also informed that damp patches had been spotted in the bedroom.

Damp crack in the ceiling, wall and mould on another wardrobe (Image: public)

"Following an inspection of the property, we will be carrying out a repair to the roof to fix the leak and damp issues.

"We are aware that there has been some damage to the property and have arranged for new flooring to be fitted.

“We have also offered compensation due to the inconvenience caused and would like to apologise again for this.

"The repair to the roof will take place this week and we will contact Ciara once the job has been carried out to make sure that she is satisfied.”

Compensation of £450 has been offered to Ciara but she thinks the damage to her furniture, presents and clothing equates to much more.

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