03 November 2023 , 12:31
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A pregnant mum has been left without a home after asbestos and damp were found in her flat.
Sian Rigby and her two-year-old daughter had to move out from the rented home back in June due to the unliveable conditions. They had to live with no heating, and asbestos after moving to Norwood Road in Southport in 2021. She is now eight months pregnant with her second child and has had to move back in with her parents.
Sian said she was in hospital up to three times a week after her health suffered due to her living conditions. She told the Liverpool Echo: "I noticed straight away it was damp after I signed the tenancy, which I reported in August last year. I did the flat-up and spent thousands on it. It just got worse and there were leaks which caused damp and mould in my living room, kitchen, and everywhere in my house. There were just so many problems."
Sian, 21, rented the property through Your Housing, a registered social landlord, and said she "should have never been allowed to live" there. The mum was moved out of the property in June and put in a hotel with her daughter, Summer.
Sian Rigby has been left without a home since June after vacating her property due to the damp and mold in the flat (Sian Rigby)Sian from Southport said: "We did not have heating or hot water... My little girl was playing in water that was coming through the kitchen once and I found out the water had asbestos in it. I was in hospital quite a lot and not able to breathe... sometimes three days a week, I was fine before I got the property. It started with the flat and just got worse."
London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard
Sian was given a house in Walton at the start of September but chose not to move because she wants to be close to family as her due date draws near. She also claims that the damp in the flat meant she had to throw away her fridge, washing machine, and other household items.
Sian said: "I was put in a hotel with a two-year-old, with no cooker or fridge, and I had to live off Just Eat vouchers. I was on the phone every day to the MP, Sefton Council, and social services. The flat was disgusting and they never had let me live there or even view the flat knowing the state it was in."
Paula Marshall, Director of Housing and Customer Service for Your Housing Group said: "Following a roof leak at Rookwood, Ms Rigby was relocated from her flat as the water had directly damaged her flat ceiling and disturbed some asbestos. The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority, and we therefore moved Ms Rigby to a hotel, and then to a serviced apartment, simply as a precautionary measure. The ceiling was repaired during this time and is now safe. Ms Rigby chose not to return to Rookwood, and we supported her to find a new home on Gwladys Street in Liverpool, which we also offered to fully carpet."