Arthritis sufferer says he's been forced to live in pain in mouldy Chesterfield council house for over two years

Paul Brough, 55, and his wife Lisa moved into a council bungalow on Brimington Road North over two years ago and say since then they have been waking up with sore throats and cold symptoms every morning.

They have also decorated their house three times and have had three sets of bedroom furniture - due to damage by dampness and mould.

Paul said: “We have tried everything, we painted the outside wall with special damp paint and also inside a couple of times and this time we stripped the walls down to the plaster.

“You can feel that the walls are damp and wet.

“The bedroom is cold all the time, you can't warm it because of all the dampness. All our clothes are damp in the wardrobe. We got a new bed about two months ago, because the old bed was completely battered underneath with dampness and mould. It's one thing after another. It plays up on our mental health.”

Paul who has been suffering from arthritis in his knees, has recently found out he also has arthritis in his feet.

He said: “I'm constantly full of pain with cold and dampness in the bedroom. We are mad at the council because at the end of the day it's their fault, the property is completely full of damp. They should have cleared it before we moved in. When we moved in it took us a month to clean and decorate.”

After two years Paul’s house has been visited by the council workers, who did a humidity test in the bedroom. It concluded that the humidity is 86% - double the maximum healthy level of 40%.

The council has promised that in new year a team will use a special device to pump out the moisture but has refused to support Paul with any financial help.

Paul said: “We have sent a few emails to Chesterfield Borough Council about giving us some compensation, but they have just ignored our pledges. We spent £2,000 because of the state of the house, it is a lot especially now during the cost of living crisis. We are both on benefits. We reached our limit and we can’t afford anymore furniture or decorating.”

A spokesperson for Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “We are fully committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of our tenants and residents, and have invested over £100 million in the past five years on improving the standard of our homes.

“We became aware of damp problems affecting Mr Brough’s home in February 2021 and following an inspection applied an anti-fungal wash. In light of fresh concerns, we carried out a new, immediate inspection and have continued to work with him to address any outstanding problems.

“Following a recent visit to the property, the floor in the wet room adjacent to the bedroom has been replaced and the bedroom radiator will also be upgraded in the coming days.

“Ventilation specialists have also carried out a survey at the property and will be returning early in the new year to upgrade the existing extractor fan in the kitchen and install equipment that will help manage condensation and moisture in the home. All of the works have been discussed and agreed with Mr Brough.”