Heartbroken parents fear mouldy house contributed to death of 15-week-old son

Published

2 months ago

May 30, 2025

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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.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

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.

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.”

UK

Lionesses praised after winning Women’s Euros – with bus parade confirmed this week

Published

6 hours ago

July 27, 2025

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Lionesses praised after winning Women's Euros - with bus parade confirmed this week

England fans across the country have heaped praise on the team after winning Euro 2025, with a bus parade celebration set for Tuesday.

Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses took home their second Euros trophy in consecutive tournaments after beating Spain 3-1 on penalties in the final.

Chloe Kelly scored the winning spot-kick following two huge saves from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, after Alessia Russo scored an equaliser to send the game to a shootout.

As it happened: England beat Spain on penalties to retain title

After England win, it was announced that an open-top bus parade will be held in London on Tuesday along The Mall, which will start at 12.10pm.

The celebrations will culminate in a stage ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace at approximately 12.30pm

Fans can attend for free, and Sky News will broadcast it live.

‘You’ve made the nation proud’ – Starmer

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among the millions congratulating the Lionesses, posting on social media to praise the champions

“What a team. What a game. What drama,” he said.

“You dug deep when it mattered most and you’ve made the nation proud. History makers.”

The roof almost came off the Manchester clubhouse where Ella Toone started her journey

Greg Milam

Chief North of England correspondent

@GregMilamSky

Nowhere was the roar for the Lionesses louder than in the Astley and Tyldesley Miners Welfare club on the outskirts of Manchester.

The club where a five-year-old Ella Toone started her journey to England stardom, like so many places across the country, hosted nail-biting, table-thumping and, ultimately, deafening watch parties.

The roof almost came off the clubhouse when Chloe Kelly’s winning penalty went in.

Red bucket hats emblazoned with Toone’s now-famous ‘Buzzing My Head Off’ catchphrase were thrown in the air.

“Absolutely ecstatic,” said Lorraine Warwick-Ellis, who runs the pathway development for women and girls at the club.

“I was very nervous, very worried about penalties but we did it in the end.”

The success of the Lionesses has driven a huge boom in the popularity of women’s and girls football in recent years. She hopes this win will have a similar effect.

“I hope it cements the girls who are already here, keeps them engaged, and I hope it brings more girls down who want to be footballers and see that it’s open for everybody.”

It had been a pretty sombre watch for much of the game after Spain took the lead – but it erupted into life after Alessia Russo’s equaliser.

The shootout was the usual emotional rollercoaster but young fans seem to have greater faith in the Lionesses.

Among the jubilant teenagers celebrating in the clubhouse were two who have followed Toone’s path to academies at professional clubs.

“It’s unbelievable, they’re amazing, Chloe Kelly, I just don’t know what to say about her,” said Natasha Greenhouse. “We knew if it went to penalties that they’d do it.”

Tamsin Gallagher said: “They’ve done it the hard way all the way through the Euros but we all believed in them. Come on England.”

The party in Manchester and around the country and only just begun.

Prince William and Princess Charlotte, who were in attendance at St Jakob-Park in Basel, added on social media: “What a game!

“Lionesses, you are the champions of Europe and we couldn’t be prouder of the whole team. Enjoy this moment England.”

King hails Lionesses… and calls for World Cup

In a post on the official Royal Family account on X, King Charles also sent his “most heartfelt congratulations on winning the Euros 2025” to the Lionesses.

“For more years than I care to remember, England fans have sung that famous chant ‘football’s coming home’,” he said.

“As you return home with the trophy you won at Wembley three years ago, it is a source of great pride that, through sporting skill and awesome teamwork, the Lionesses have made those words ring true.

“For this, you have my whole family’s warmest appreciation and admiration. More than that, though, you have shown through your example over past weeks that there are no setbacks so tough that defeat cannot be transformed into victory, even as the final whistle looms.”

The monarch ended his statement by saying “the next task is to bring home the World Cup in 2027 if you possibly can!”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy added: “What an absolutely extraordinary achievement by our Lionesses – once again they have made history and united the country with pride and joy.”

Reform UK’s Nigel Farage said “well done” to the team and “what an absolutely fantastic watch,” while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “What an achievement. What a team!”

UK

Man suffers cardiac arrest onboard boat trying to reach UK

Published

1 day ago

July 27, 2025

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Man suffers cardiac arrest onboard boat trying to reach UK

A man has died after suffering cardiac arrest onboard a boat attempting to reach the UK.

The vessel turned back towards Equihen beach on the French coast yesterday morning.

A nurse tried to resuscitate the man but was unsuccessful.

French authorities have now launched an investigation into the circumstances.

A spokesperson for Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, has criticised authorities on both sides of the Channel.

Jacob Burns said: “Yet again we have a tragedy in the Channel, that is the consequence of the deadly, costly and ineffective security policies implemented by the UK and France.”

Later on Saturday, a lifeboat carried migrants who have made the voyage into the Port of Dover.

Photographs showed them huddled under blankets and orange life jackets on board.

Provisional statistics from the Home Office suggest almost 24,000 people have arrived on small boats in the UK so far this year.

Towns and cities across the UK have seen protests in recent days, primarily outside hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers.

UK

Women’s Euros final: The Lionesses face Spain tonight – and they’re seeking revenge

Published

1 day ago

July 27, 2025

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Women's Euros final: The Lionesses face Spain tonight - and they're seeking revenge

Here the Lionesses are again. Another final. Another showdown with Spain.

All of a sudden, what was once so anticipated and longed for can start to seem expected rather than extraordinary.

What happened to the great underachievers of world football? They are now consistently among the final two going for glory.

No one is taking that for granted.

Especially not Leah Williamson, with the chance to retain the European Championship trophy lifted three years ago at Wembley.

“The opportunity of tomorrow and what’s on offer is the best thing in football,” the England captain said. “I think we don’t necessarily carry the weight of it and how much it means to people, but we’re aware of it because it means the same to us.”

So often they were only watching other nations making finals.

England’s first was the men winning the 1966 World Cup.

England v Spain: All you need to know

Then, with the rebirth of women’s football after bans and neglect, it was the Lionesses’ turn to make it to the finals – in 1984 and 2009.

And the Three Lions had to wait until 2021 to make it to a final, losing to Italy on penalties at Wembley.

It kickstarted an incredible run of five successive years of finals for England senior teams – with another men’s Euros final defeat in 2024.

The Lionesses have led the way, bringing football home by defeating Germany in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley.

They just missed out on going one better when reaching a first Women’s World Cup final a year later.

Now, in Basel, comes the chance for revenge against Spain – even though no one in the England camp is saying that, publicly at least, in Switzerland.

Especially knowing how challenging a task it is coming up again against Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putella – the recent winners of football’s biggest individual honours.

But this is Spain’s first Euros final.

And there is some fear from the world champions at England’s grit and resolve to produce comebacks late in the quarter-finals and semi-finals – with 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang’s goals integral to the fightbacks.

Spain captain Irene Paredes reflected yesterday on how the Lionesses can flip a result late on.

But she was also discussing how their World Cup win was tarnished by the on-pitch kiss that led to former Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales being convicted of a sexual assault on striker Jenni Hermoso.

It sparked a wider clamour in Spain for improved rights and respect for women.

“Since then [2023] we took big steps forward,” Paredes said.

“I think this idea is disappearing from society. I still believe we have to continue opening doors… we’re a reference for boys and girls in society, but we still have things to do.”

It is a reminder that while tonight is about collecting silverware, both England and Spain know that emerging as champions can drive further growth in women’s football back home.

Amid it all, they’ll try to savour just what reaching a final means and how rare they are – until recently for English and Spanish women.