A YOUNG mother fears the health of her children is seriously at risk because of the state of her Charford flat.

Samantha Downing, aged 19, claims that severe dampness has made her housing association flat in Talbot Road unliveable, and is affecting the health of two-year-old son Lexus and daughter Felicity, aged one, as well as being bad for her own asthma.

Samantha says that requests to Bromsgrove District Housing Trust to sort out the problem have been swept under the carpet.

"We've lived here for two years and it's just got worse ever since we've moved in," she said.

"Wallpaper has fallen off the walls, I've had to spend £180 on new carpet because it has rotted, and recently we had a water leak in the kitchen ceiling. My son's pillow went green because of the dampness."

She added: "Social services and my support worker have written to the trust, both saying it is unliveable. But the council said it is liveable, and there is no guarantee that the problem won't happen again."

Samantha is concerned that the conditions are making her's and her children's health worse.

"My son is always getting diarrhoea and is constantly losing weight and my daughter's skin is terrible. The conditions are just making things worse."

District councillor Sean Shannon (Lab-Charford) said he has visited the flat and plans to take the matter up with the housing trust.

BDHT's operations director Tony Lowry said: "We have been working with Miss Downing to address her concerns and have met with her to assess the problems she has experienced. "In light of a leak which occurred in the flat above Miss Downing's, we have offered compensation to address the inconvenience caused to the family."

dan.harrison@midlands.newsquest.co.uk