Woman in critical condition after council ‘failed to fix mould and damp issues’
A woman has been left critically ill after a council failed to get rid of mould and damp which was affecting her health, her husband has told Sky News.
Morgan Sinnott is on a ventilator in intensive care after being rushed to hospital while struggling to breathe on New Year’s Day.
Her husband, Lewis Sinnott, believes issues in their one-bedroom flat have contributed to his wife’s severe ill health.
The council has said it is “doing everything we can to rectify issues of condensation, damp and mould” at the Waltham Abbey property and highlighted that workers have visited “several times” to fix various problems.
Mrs Sinnott has an extremely rare genetic condition, Wolfram Syndrome, that makes her vulnerable to respiratory illnesses. This is the third time she has had pneumonia.
Just weeks before she was rushed to hospital, her specialist consultant wrote a letter urging the council to find the family a new home.
Mr Sinnott has said the council’s actions are “unacceptable”.
Mr Sinnott believes deeper structural issues are behind the recurring mould and damp issues
Mrs Sinnott has contracted pneumonia three times
“They [the council] could have prevented this from happening years ago and they’ve done nothing,” he told Sky News.
“They got warned about this, they’ve had hospital letters, they’ve had everything that they’ve asked for, and they’ve done nothing about it.”
Mr Sinnott believes the recurring mould and damp are being caused by deep, structural issues that need to be addressed.
More from Sky News:
The horror of living in a damp-ridden home
Crackdown on rogue landlords who delay repairs
Mirs Sinnott’s doctor previously wrote to the council asking for them to find the family a new home
The council has visited the property ‘several times’ to fix numerous issues
Epping Forest District Council told Sky News it is “very sorry” to hear of Mrs Sinnott’s illness.
It also admitted that it’s unclear why the flat “is suffering so badly in comparison with others in the block” and said the property’s condition has “greatly improved” since recently completed works.
Addressing the couple’s request to move, a spokesman added that there is a “chronic lack of social housing” in Epping Forest, “where demand far outstrips supply”.
It is looking at the family’s request for a transfer in light of Mrs Sinnott’s hospitalisation and this will be assessed by an independent medical adviser.
“In the meantime, we will continue to monitor and treat the symptoms of damp and mould at no 53 and investigate whether there is anything else we can do to remedy the causes,” he said.
Mould in the Sinnott family’s Waltham Abbey council flat
Health officials have told Sky News that tackling the country’s housing issues will relieve pressure on the NHS.
About 20% of respiratory admissions into hospitals this winter will be a result of people living in poor housing conditions, Dr Andy Knox – a GP and associate medical director for the Lancashire and South Cumbria integrated care board -said.
The government recently proposed new guidelines that would mean social landlords have to address and fix problems within a strict timeframe.
The requirements are part of a consultation under legislation named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in December 2020. Awaab and his family lived in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
Greg Fell, president of the Association of Directors for Public Health, has warned that councils will need to be able to afford repair costs or construction of new homes.
“Laws are great but we need to be able to afford to implement them,” he said.
A woman who was stabbed to death in north London has been named by police – as a man was arrested on suspicion of murder.
Pamela Munro, 45, was found with a stab wound and died at the scene in Ayley Croft, Enfield, on Saturday evening, the Metropolitan Police said.
A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Monday and is in custody, the force added.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil John said: “Investigating officers have worked relentlessly across the weekend to investigate the circumstances around Pamela’s death.
“We continue to support her family who are understandably devastated.”
Police at the scene at Ayley Croft in Enfield
Read more from Sky News:
Fresh appeal over student’s murder
100 firefighters battle flats blaze
The Met Police has asked anyone with information or who was driving through Ayley Court between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday and may have dashcam footage to contact the force.
A “British man” has died after being beaten and set on fire by a mob in Ecuador, according to reports by media in the South American country.
According to reports, the man – who has not been officially identified – had been detained by police after being accused of being involved in a fatal shooting.
Ecuadorian news outlet Ecuavisa reported that the man had been taken to a police station Playas del Cuyabeno, a remote village in the Amazon rainforest.
While there, a group broke into the station and took the man away. He was then set on fire in the street, it is reported, and died from his burns.
The incident reportedly happened in the Playas del Cuyabeno area of Sucumbios province
Another local report, from EXTRA.ec, said that specialist police units had been slow to arrive due to the geographical conditions of the area – which is accessible by river.
Read more from Sky News:
IDF finds ‘failings’ over attack on aid workers
Pope blesses Easter crowds from popemobile
According to reports, police officers at the station apparently decided they could not intervene when the mob arrived out of concerns for their own safety.
It is understood the UK Foreign Office is following up reports about the incident and working with local authorities to confirm the details.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway