A MOTHER-of-three has revealed the horrid conditions she and her kids were forced to live in before becoming homeless right before Christmas.
Colleen Anglim and her sons Charlie, nine, Harrison, two, and Hunter, one, had to move out of their Swiss Cottage, London home in late-November after if became infested with maggots, mould, and flies.
Facundo ArrizabalagaColleen Anglim and her three kids have been living in a hotel after moving out of their home due to a mould infestation[/caption]
The leaking issues caused a mould outbreak in the home
All the family’s belongings had to be thrown out due to the mould
Ms Anglim told My London News that the mould had destroyed all her furniture along with her kids’ clothes and toys – and she was even forced to pull a maggot out of her son Harrison’s ear.
She said: “I was picking flies off my kids’ skin, it made me nearly sick. I was scared to take my kids out because all their clothes stank of mould.”
The family is now staying at the North London Travelodge, but their hotel room is so cramped that almost every day Ms Anglim takes her kids to her partner’s parents’ house in Camden.
The mother-of-three said she would have a “mental breakdown” if she stayed in the hotel every day.
Ms Anglim claims Notting Hill Genesis, who she rented the property from, was negligent, causing the problems with her flat.
Ms Anglim had previously lived in Shepherd’s Bush but was forced to move out after it became infested with mice. She received financial compensation from the housing association.
She then moved into the Swiss Cottage flat inJanuary 2020, and spent £13k of the compensation money to decorate and furnish the home.
The young mum said she was spending £80 on gas every three days due to issues with the flat’s water cylinder.
But the living situation became even more dire during Ms Anglim’s annual review in 2021. She said water began leaking along the exterior of her building, before eventually creeping into the walls and flooring.
The leaking issues and lack of water cylinder for more than two months caused a mould outbreak in the home.
She said: “I was cooking dinner and had left a pot of gravy on the side for four hours, when I came back it was already covered in a thick layer of mould.”
Soon enough, all of the family’s belongings had to be thrown out due to the mould.
Brand new £250 wallpaper was destroyed and mould-infested carpets had to be ripped up. The mould issue got so bad the family all slept in one single room.
An infestation of maggots and flies then culminated in Ms Anglim needing to pull a maggot out of her two-year-old son’s ear.
Ms Anglim refused several offers by Notting Hill Genesis to wash down the walls of the flat. She said a proper mould inspection was needed to find the cause of the problem.
In November, social services moved Ms Anglim and her three kids into a Travelodge while remedial works were undertaken on their property.
Today, Ms Anglim and her kids will move back to their home. However she predicts the mould problems will return within months.
She said it has been “torture” watching her kids constantly get sick and suffer from chest infections.
A Notting Hill Genesis spokesperson said a three-week programme of mould washing and redecorating took place.
“We worked with social services to provide temporary hotel accommodation while these repairs were completed. This lasted longer than expected as we found maggots and flies were emanating from the oven, which were not related to structural issues.”
The spokesperson said its hardship fund is being used to buy a new mattress, while Notting Hill Genesis will also provide new floor coverings for the home “as a gesture of good will.”
Ms Anglim had previously lived in Shepherd’s Bush but was forced to move out after it became infested with mice
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