Sewage leak in Kington flat leaves mum fearing for kids' health

Kianne Brown said leaking sewage had made both her children ill

A mother-of-two says flooding and leaking sewage in her mouldy flat has soiled her possessions and left her children ill.

Kianne Brown, 34, moved into the social housing in Kington, Herefordshire, in March 2021.

She said the flat, managed by social housing provider Stonewater, had constant problems.

Stonewater said it was aware of the damage and was arranging for the family to be moved to more suitable property.

Ms Brown said major issues in the building included dangerous communal areas, mouldy windows, huge cracks in the ceilings and walls, and holes in the roof that had led to rainwater pouring in.

But she explained a raw sewage leak underneath her home had been particularly unpleasant, leaving both of her children unwell with the smell "stinking the whole house out".

She said: "Underneath my house the sewage pipes kept breaking - I'd ring [Stonewater] up and I'd tell them I can smell something in my house.

"It took them over a month and a half to sort it."

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Ms Brown said water damage had caused cracks to appear in the walls

Ms Brown added: "We've had water pouring through the fire alarm, all across the beams, which has left loads of cracks.

"They've glued it thinking that would solve the problem, when obviously it hasn't.

"It's just getting worse and worse," she explained.

Ms Brown said she had spent weeks worrying about the water damage and had repeatedly contacted Stonewater for help before the ceiling was compromised.

Rain has caused holes to appear in the ceiling

A statement from Stonewater said that it was sorry to hear of Ms Brown's situation and it had completed some repairs but more needed to be done.

"Once all the repairs are completed, we will make sure that any damage caused to Ms Brown's home is put right.

"We are also looking to arrange for Ms Brown to move to a more suitable local home as soon as one becomes available."

A spokesperson for The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said social housing landlords had a duty to ensure homes were fit to inhabit.

"It is unacceptable that residents live in such appalling conditions," they said.

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