Heartbroken parents fear mouldy house contributed to death of 15-week-old son
Aiat Mohammed still clutches one of the last babygrows her son wore.
Exhausted by grief, she holds the tiny blue and green outfit tight. Occasionally, when everything becomes too much, she lifts it to her face and breathes in deeply.
“I didn’t wash it,” she tells me, “because it’s got his scent”.
Her son, Akram, was just 15 weeks old when he died in hospital in London on 21 February.
Akram Mohammed died in February when he was 15 weeks old
His parents took him to hospital a day after raising concerns about his breathing. Doctors attempted CPR in front of them – but the little boy couldn’t be saved.
Aiat remembers the moment she saw the monitor flatline, and the medical team stepped away from his tiny body: “They said to me, ‘You can come and touch his head now’. I was saying, ‘Please, can you try again? Please, do the CPR again?’ And they said, ‘Sorry, we can’t. We can’t do anything anymore. We need to stop’.”
An inquest to determine the circumstances of how and why Akram died will be held in the summer.
The family lawyer, Mark McGhee, says a pathology report suggested he died of acute pneumonia due to a late-onset Group B Strep infection. But he fears the state of their crowded and mouldy housing association flat played a part.
Akram and his siblings Adam and Asfahan
Home riddled with damp
Photos make it clear their one-bedroom Camden home was riddled with damp, long before Akram – the couple’s third child – was born at the end of last year.
Black mould pushed the wallpaper from the walls, stains and damp kept coming back no matter how much they scrubbed and cleaned with harsh chemicals, and no matter how much they begged the housing association – Notting Hill Genesis – for help.
Pic: Suzanne Martin
An independent inspection before the baby’s birth in December found the landlord “in breach of its duty to ensure the property is and will remain fit for human habitation”.
Mould was found on either the walls or ceiling in the single bedroom, living room, bathroom and kitchen. To make things even worse, the family say that after complaining about broken windows, a contractor arrived to seal them shut – making ventilation almost impossible.
Akram’s father Abdushafi Mohammed, a car mechanic from Sudan, told Sky News: “You felt it in the air, in your chest as soon as you walked into the flat.” Aiat remembers the “very, very rotten smell, very strange smell. You don’t want to be in there for more than a minute”.
Pic: Suzanne Martin
Their baby began to rasp at night, and then they could hear a rattle in his chest during the day. But his worried parents were told he would “grow out of it”.
‘Drowning in fluids’
Savvas Panas, the chief executive of the Pillion Trust Charity, who has supported the family for years, told Sky News: “The child was strong, he was big and very healthy, but he was drowning, you could hear it, he was drowning in fluids.”
He claims to have spent months escalating concerns through the housing association, and Camden Council.
Pic: Suzanne Martin
Abdushafi puts it simply: “No one helped us.”
The cause of death is unknown, an inquest has been set up, and a coroner is expected to rule on how and why he died later in the year.
Read more from Sky News:
Ages of youngest and oldest Liverpool crash victims released
Reservoir searched after girl believed to have fallen in
Pic: Suzanne Martin
Pic: Suzanne Martin
Patrick Franco, chief executive of Notting Hill Genesis, said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Akram Mohammed and extend our sincere condolences to his family, their friends and neighbours. We will continue to support the family in any way we can during this difficult time.
“We know that this is a complex situation and will continue working with the relevant authorities as they conduct their investigations.
“No determination has been made by HM Coroner as to the cause of Akram’s death, and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further or to speculate at this time.”
A Camden Council spokesperson said: “Akram’s death is a tragedy, and our thoughts are with his family at what is a very sad time.
“We have been in regular contact with Notting Hill Genesis – most recently this week – and they have assured us that they are working to identify a suitable home for the family. We will remain in touch, doing what we can, until this situation is resolved.
“As with any unexpected death, there will be an inquest to determine any contributory factors and learnings for local agencies.”
Richard Blakeway, housing ombudsman, said: “This is a tragic case and our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.
“Whilst the complaint was still within the landlord’s complaints process when Akram passed away, and therefore we were unable to take it on as a formal investigation, we have offered support and advice to the family, including progressing their complaint with the landlord. We will continue to liaise with the family as this case progresses
“Landlords should take a zero tolerant approach to damp and mould. The introduction of Awaab’s Law is a positive step. However, landlords should not wait for its introduction to take further action, including proactively identifying damp and mould in homes rather than waiting for residents to report it.”
Complaints about conditions have risen sharply
Akram’s death comes as the housing ombudsman’s office reveals complaints about substandard living conditions in social housing are more than five times higher than they were five years ago.
The ombudsman deals with disputes between residents and social housing landlords in England, and found there were 6,380 complaints investigated in the year to March 2025, up from 1,111 in the year to March 2020.
Reasons for complaints included asbestos, electrical and fire safety issues, pest control, leaks, damp and mould.
‘I would have ripped that family out of there’
Mr Panas said that despite their long-standing battles with the mould, he advised the family to stay in the sub-standard flat, knowing that if they left, they would lose social housing support by making themselves “intentionally homeless”.
But, if he could go back in time, he said: “I would have ripped that family out of there. I would say, just grab your children and get in the car and let’s go.”
As a ban on the sale of disposable vapes comes into force on Sunday, a doctor who set up the first-ever clinic to help children stop vaping has said she has seen patients so addicted they couldn’t sleep through the night without them.
Professor Rachel Isba established the clinic at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool in January and has now seen several patients as young as 11 years old who are nicotine dependent.
“Some of the young people vape before they get out of bed. They are sleeping with them under their pillow,” she told Sky News.
Professor Rachel Isba set up the first-ever stop vaping clinic for children
“I’m hearing stories of some children waking up at three o’clock in the morning, thinking they can’t sleep, thinking the vape will help them get back to sleep. Whereas, actually, that’s the complete opposite of how nicotine works.”
Ms Isba said most of her patients use disposable vapes, and while some young people may use the chance to give up, others will simply move to refillable devices after the ban.
“To me, vaping feels quite a lot like the beginning of smoking. I’m not surprised, but disappointed on behalf of the children that history has repeated itself.”
A government ban on single-use vapes comes into effect from Sunday, prohibiting the sale of disposable vaping products across the UK, both online and in-store, whether or not they contain nicotine.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said usage among young vapers remained too high, and the ban would “put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation’s streets”.
Pic: PA
Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: “For too long, single-use vapes have blighted our streets as litter and hooked our children on nicotine. That ends today. The government calls time on these nasty devices.”
At nearby Shrewsbury House Youth Club in Everton, a group of 11 and 12-year-old girls said vape addiction is already rife among their friends.
Yasmin Dumbell said: “Every day we go out, and at least someone has a vape. I know people who started in year five. It’s constantly in their hand.”
Yasmin Dumbell says she knows students who started vaping in year five
Her friend Una Quayle said metal detectors were installed at her school to try to stop pupils bringing in vapes, and they are having special assemblies about the dangers of the devices.
But, she said, students “find ways to get around the scanners though – they hide them in their shorts and go to the bathroom and do it”.
Una Quayle says metal detectors installed at her school won’t stop students using vapes
The girls said the ban on disposables is unlikely to make a difference for their friends who are already addicted.
According to Una, they’ll “find a way to get nicotine into their system”.
As well as trying to address the rise in young people vaping, the government hopes banning single-use vapes will reduce some of the environmental impact the devices have.
Read more:
Disposable vape ban explained
Why vapes are environmentally bad
School support worker struck off over vapes boasts
Although all vapes can be recycled, only a tiny proportion are – with around eight million a week ending up in the bin or on the floor.
Pulled apart by hand
Even those that are recycled have to be pulled apart by hand, as there is currently no way to automate the process.
Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, a recycling non-profit group, said vapes were “some of the most environmentally wasteful, damaging, dangerous consumer products ever sold”.
His organisation worries that with new, legal models being designed to almost exactly mimic disposables in look and feel – and being sold for a similar price – people will just keep throwing them away.
He said the behaviour “is too ingrained. The general public have been told ‘vapes are disposable’. They’ve even been marketed this way. But they never were disposable”.
A ban on disposable vapes comes into force on Sunday, with a warning issued about the “life-threatening dangers” of stockpiling.
From Sunday it will be illegal for any business to sell or supply, or have in their possession for sale, all single-use or disposable vapes.
Online nicotine retailer Haypp said 82% of the 369 customers they surveyed plan to bulk purchase the vapes before they are no longer available.
But the vapes contain lithium batteries and could catch fire if not stored correctly.
A sign for customers at a Tesco store in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire. Pic: PA
While more than a third (34%) of people surveyed by Haypp said they would consider buying an illegal vape after the ban, the overall number of people using disposable products has fallen from 30% to to 24% of vapers, according to Action on Smoking and Health.
Shops selling vapes are required to offer a “take back” service, where they accept vapes and vape parts that customers return for recycling – including single use products.
Read more: Everything you need to know about the ban
The Local Government Association (LGA) led the call for a ban two years ago, due to environmental and wellbeing concerns, and is warning people not to stockpile.
Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Failing to store disposable vapes correctly could cost lives, given the significant fire risk they pose.”
How disposable vapes catch fire – or even explode
Figures obtained by the Electric Tobacconist, via Freedom of Information requests, found an increase in vape related fires – from 89 in 2020 to 399 in 2024.
Many disposable vapes use cheap, or even unregulated lithium-ion batteries, to keep the costs down. These batteries often lack proper safety features, like thermal cut offs, making them more prone to overheating and catching fire.
If the battery is damaged, or overheats in any way it can cause thermal runaway – a chain reaction where the battery’s temperature rapidly increases, causing it to overheat uncontrollably.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
2019: Vape product starts fire on US passenger plane
Read more:
Ban may not curb e-cig use
Toddler filmed vaping
Illegal vapes found in WW2 bunker
Then, once these fires start start, they are very hard to stop. Water alone can make things worse if the battery is still generating heat, so they require specialised fire suppressants to put them out.
Batteries can then re-ignite hours, or even days later, making them a persistent hazard.
Disposable vapes are a hazard for waste and litter collection and cause fires in bin lorries, even though customers have been warned not to throw them away in household waste. They are almost impossible to recycle because they are designed as one unit so the batteries cannot be separated from plastic.
Some 8.2 million units were thrown away, or recycled incorrectly, every week prior to the ban.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said usage among young vapers remained too high, and the ban would “put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation’s streets”.
Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: “For too long, single-use vapes have blighted our streets as litter and hooked our children on nicotine. That ends today.
“The government calls time on these nasty devices.”
‘One in five say they will return to cigarettes’
Separate research by life insurance experts at Confused.com found two in five people (37%) planned to stop vaping when the ban starts.
Nearly one in five (19%) said they would return to cigarettes once the ban comes into force.
The research was based on the answers of 500 UK adults who currently vape.
Vaping and smoking also appears to be on the rise, with Confused.com saying there was a 44% increase in the number of people declaring they smoke or vape on their life insurance policy since 2019.
Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges as he appeared in court in London.
The British comedian and actor, from Hambleden in Buckinghamshire, was charged by post last month with one count each of rape, indecent assault and oral rape as well as two counts of sexual assault.
The charges relate to alleged incidents involving four separate women between 1999 and 2005.
The 49-year-old, who has been living in the US, was flanked by two officers as he pleaded not guilty to all the charges at Southwark Crown Court today.
Russell Brand appears at Southwark Crown Court. Pic: Reuters
Brand stood completely still and looked straight ahead as he delivered his pleas.
The comedian, who has consistently denied having non-consensual sex since allegations were first aired two years ago, is due to stand trial in June 2026.
Read more from Sky News
Man who sold poisonous diet pills jailed
Fraudster who sold fake Scottish tea jailed
Tom Daley on LGBT rights
Russell Brand arrives at Southwark Crown Court on Friday
He previously told his 11.2 million followers on X that he welcomed the opportunity to prove his innocence.
The allegations were first made in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches in September 2023.
As Friday’s hearing finished, Brand replaced his sunglasses before exiting the dock and calmly walking past reporters.
-
Sports3 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
-
Sports2 years 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