TikTok plea by Penryn woman to Cornwall Housing over water leak

Paige Winsper, 26 said her bath and shower had been unusable because of the water damage

A woman had to complain for over a year about a leaking water pipe before a "rant" on TikTok prompted her housing association to take action, she says.

Paige Winsper, 26, said the Falmouth flat she shares with her daughter, 7 was extensively damaged when a leak in 2021 was not fixed properly.

She said she complained repeatedly to Cornwall Housing (CH) but no action was taken until the TikTok video was made.

CH has apologised and said it was urgently addressing the issues.

Ms Winsper said she had also had to care for her late mother through cancer treatment in the damp flat.

Paige Winsper said wooden frames swelled from water damage and doors would not close

Ms Winsper said she contacted CH about the problem, sometimes weekly, and had "pestered them constantly" for periods of time.

She told the BBC she became "so angry" about their inaction she decided to have a "rant" on TikTok asking for help and then the video "went crazy and blew up" on the social media platform.

Posting the video prompted CH to provide hotel accommodation for her and her daughter.

She said: "There's water damage into one wall, it's then spread into another wall.

"It's gone under all the flooring, into all the woodwork... It's swelling around plug sockets... The electric box was absolutely soaking".

The electrical problems caused by the leak also posed a "fire risk", Ms Winsper said.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Housing said: "The health and safety of our tenants is our priority.

"We are working with the tenant and our repairs team to urgently address the issues affecting the property, and apologise that the situation has taken longer than it should have to resolve."