'I worry about mould affecting my family's lungs'

Caitlin Brady (pictured) is asthmatic, and her mum Lorraine McGrath worries about the impact of mould on her family's lungs

For 22-year-old avid reader Caitlin Brady, the bedroom of her family home, filled with shelves of books, soft toys and comics, should be a sanctuary.

Instead, being there only reminds Caitlin of how much persistent mould has affected her and her family over the past five years.

"My pillow was getting wet all the time from droplets coming from the ceiling. I had to change to the other side of the bed after I kept being woken up by this," Caitlin told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Although the summer brought some respite, they now face another winter of health worries and ruined possessions as no long-term solution has been found.

Caitlin and her mum, Lorraine McGrath, live in the property in Roffey Close in Purley, which is owned by Croydon Council.

Lorraine said she worries about the mould's long-term effect on her family's lungs, particularly Caitlin, who has asthma.

Caitlin joked: "I like to breathe every so often."

Caitlin said the mould problem means her walls drip with water, and her possessions become covered in a blotchy dark green film

Caitlin's bedroom has an exterior-facing wall, which means she experiences the worst of the mould problem.

Her walls often drip with water, and her possessions have become covered in a blotchy dark green film.

"I found mould on my grandad's stuff; he only died last year. I was able to wipe it off, but when I saw that, I was fuming.

"When I'm taking selfies, I zoom in so people don't see the mould. It's crazy, but if you don't laugh, you'll cry."

Lorraine said the council had failed to offer a permanent solution to the mould issue.

"They wash it, but then the mould comes back in a month or two. It gets even worse in the winter."

She said the family have bought dehumidifiers in bulk because they fill up so quickly.

The house in Roffey Close also suffers from patchy water coverage, leaks and draughty windows

The council first responded to Lorraine's complaint about mould in 2023, since when more than 10 workers have attended the property to carry out temporary mould washes.

They also installed extractor fans in March this year, but Lorraine said these have made little difference.

There are further issues at the property, including patchy water coverage, leaks and draughty holes around the windows, which the family have had to stuff with tissue paper.

'It's not normal'

Lorraine feels the council has failed to engage with her about the issue, and that the delays in solving the underlying causes of the mould have become "genuinely laughable".

"You shouldn't be getting excited about the prospect of another mould wash, it's not normal," she added.

Croydon Council has apologised for the problems and said the reports of mould had been dealt with in line with their damp and mould policy, with repairs and washes carried out in 2023 and 2024.

Council officers are due to visit the property in the next month to assess whether the extractor fans have helped.

"We have set up a specialist team dedicated to resolving these issues and we have introduced a new housing management system to improve customer and repairs information," the council said.

"Specialist contractors are working with us on damp and mould remedial works to help resolve issues more effectively."