'My mouldy house affects my social life'

Jean Binks said the mould in her council house was so bad she was embarrassed to invite friends round

An 81-year-old woman said her council house had such bad mould it was affecting her social life.

Jean Binks from Slough said she had been dealing with recurring mould for "nearly 10 years" and she was too embarrassed to have friends round as a result.

She also said it was affecting her health, saying when she went on holidays with her friends, they could "dance until midnight" whereas she was "finished" after one dance.

Slough Borough Council said it had "addressed" the mould on several occasions and would now carry out works "which should prevent the mould from re-occurring".

Ms Binks said she had been battling with mould for nearly a decade

When BBC Radio Berkshire's Kirsten O'Brien visited Ms Binks' home on Tuesday, the council had recently been to clean it so it was "at its best".

But Ms Binks said it would come back, and in six weeks it would "start going across the ceiling".

"I've learnt to shut it out slightly now," she said.

"At one point, I think I was near to a nervous breakdown."

Ms Binks said the underlying cause of the mould was unknown

At one point she put her name down to move into a flat in a complex for elderly people, but she was "pleased" it did not pan-out like that because she would miss her outdoor space.

"I love my garden," she said.

"I won't want to move into a flat."

Katie Hannat, a clinical respiratory lead from Frimley Health and Care, said living with mould was bad for both physical and mental health.

She also said there was a stigma with it, with people unwilling to ask for help because they were "ashamed that their home is mouldy".

Slough Borough Council said all reported instances were "for small areas of mould in one room only", and that it was "looking into the ventilation and air movement" following the most recent report.