South Shields family with young baby furious at state of house - with mould, damp and slug problems

Demi Clark, 20 and Daniel Moy, 20, lived with Demi’s parents in South Shields when their baby Dryden was born in October 2020.

Due to limited space, Demi, who is a stay-at-home mam, started looking for council properties and eventually found one in July 2021.

But ever since the move, the young couple have faced a mounting list of problems with the property, including mould, damp and slugs.

Since moving into the house off Alnwick Road in the West Harton area, Demi and Daniel have been battling with the council to get issues resolved and were told by inspectors the problems were self caused by condensation.

Demi’s mam, Maria Clark, 39, who is a painter and decorator, has been left furious by the ongoing issues.

She said: “Ever since they moved in it has been an absolute nightmare. They’ve had carpets ruined, wallpaper ruined and find slugs every day. The cupboards are full of mould and smell foisty.

“We’ve had a few inspectors out but Demi and Daniel feel like they just get fobbed off because they’re young kids.

"They keep putting the issue down to condensation and even told them to keep the windows open all day in the middle of winter with a one year old in the house. The way they’ve been treated is just not acceptable.”

Maria’s biggest concern is for baby Dryden, who is now 15 months old. She added: “It’s full of mould, which can affect health, and we’re seriously worried about the impact this property could have but no one seems interested.”

A spokesperson for South Tyneside Homes said: “Prior to the current tenants moving into the property, a full damp proof course was installed.

“The tenants were advised to wait at least six months if they wished to wallpaper, to allow the walls to dry thoroughly.

“A surveyor visited the property in October and issued further advice around the use of the bathroom extractor fan and not drying clothes on radiators.

“We have made arrangements for a further visit to the property to assess its current condition.”

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