Mould and damp in home left young children in hospital

Katrina Lapton said the problem caused her to have anxiety

Two young children were taken to hospital due to mould growing in their bedrooms, a grandmother has said.

Katrina Lapton, 49, said her two granddaughters were treated for chest infections because of mould and damp in her home.

A neighbour also said black mould had grown in her and her baby's bedroom due to leaks in her ceiling.

The United Welsh housing association said it was sorry residents were currently unhappy.

An estimated 600,000 people in Wales live in cold or damp housing, according to Warm This Winter, which campaigns for government help for people struggling with bills.

• How dangerous is black mould in houses?

• Councillor blames residents for black mould

• Woman goes to bed at six o'clock due to damp home

The BBC spoke to several people who lived in Trem Elai and Pearse Close in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, about damp and mould problems in their homes, including Ms Lapton.

She said because she had asthma she worried how the conditions would affect her in the long-term.

"I've been getting a lot of headaches, especially when getting up in the morning," said Ms Lapton, who lives on Trem Elai.

"My grandchildren were in and out of hospital last year due to bronchiolitis.

"We have an extractor fan in the bathroom that's never worked. There's no vents in the attic which I think has caused a lot of the problem."

Katrina Lapton (right) says granddaughters Hunter and Darci suffered from bronchiolitis due to the mould

She said the problem remained despite her buying dehumidifiers, and that it was worsening her anxiety.

"I just want to move as the problem is just going to persist," she said.

Ms Lapton said United Welsh had been told about the issues but they had not been resolved.

"If we mention a problem it takes weeks [for someone] to come out, or someone to look at what's already been looked at," she added.

Jayde Cartwright had black mould in her bathroom and bedroom

Ms Lapton's neighbour in Pearse Close, Jayde Cartwright, said she had leaks in her ceilings and black mould in her bathroom and bedroom, which she shared with her 14-month-old son Brogan.

"It's not good for [him] to breathe it in, constantly lying underneath it eight hours a night under that thick mould," the 34-year-old said.

"We had to move the baby's cot every time a new spot turned up, and it's just unsafe."

The mould was removed from Ms Cartwright's home one day before the BBC arrived to speak to her

After having mould for about 15 months, Jayde said United Welsh fixed the problem the day before the BBC arrived at the property to speak to her.

"I hope they come out and sort everybody's problems once and for all," she added.

United Welsh's Lynn Morgan said the housing association was "sorry" if residents were unhappy.

"Nobody wants to live with damp and mould in their home," she said.

"We don't underestimate the impact that it has, and we are working to make sure the root cause of the issues experienced by residents in Penarth are properly addressed."

She added that staff were carrying out repairs on homes.

Homes in Pearse Close (pictured) and Trem Elai are among those affected by mould

"Providing homes where people feel happy to live is of the utmost importance," she said.

Warm This Winter has ranked Cardiff as the worst UK city for homes at risk of mould, with 42% of people "frequently or occasionally" experiencing problems.

Public Health Wales (PHW) warned that the problem may be on the rise.

This week it published a report warning more people could be developing health problems because of poor housing and the cost of living crisis.

One of the report's authors, PHW senior policy officer Manon Roberts, said the gap between those who could afford their own homes and those who could not was widening.

Jayde Cartwright took pictures of the mould in her home before United Welsh eventually fixed the problem

She warned living with damp and mould could affect physical and mental health.

"It includes a higher risk of stroke, certain types of cancers, you're more likely to catch things like flu, you're more likely to have a fall in the home," she said.

"But it can also impact children's development at a young age - it can affect lung development and you're at a higher risk of asthma."

Housing charity Shelter Cymru said PHW's report added to a body of evidence pointing to the need for Welsh government to prioritise providing good homes for everyone in Wales its budget.

The Welsh government said: "We are working hard to increase the number of affordable homes we have for those in housing need, as well as providing advice and support through our Help to Stay initiative to those struggling to meet the cost of increased mortgage payments."