A mum-of-five is desperate to move out of her damp and mould infested home.

Shelley Wilcox, 40, says she accepted the house in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, seven years ago but only after promises were made to fix certain issues.

However, the repairs were never completed and now the she says she is stuck in a home with rising damp, mould in every room, a broken front door, and windows unfit for purpose.

The problems are so bad Shelley has to wash all her pots and pans before using them, furniture has been ruined and so to have her children’s toys.

The mum says she has decorated her home with mould resistant paint and cleans with special sprays and bleach but can’t keep up with how fast the problems return.

Bromford, Shelley’s housing provider, has sent staff to assess the situation and has reportedly told her the problems were caused by ‘too many people breathing in the house’.

‘The last straw was when my daughter went to find her dolls and she came to me so upset and distraught when they were literally covered in mould,’ Shelley said.

‘I put the dolls in the wash and one had to go in the bin, the other one I am having to scrub in hope I can get the spores out of it for her.

‘They tried to tell me it was because I have fish tanks but they finally admitted some time ago there is rising damp in the property.’

Shelley claims there are a number of issues with the house which are not being addressed, allowing the damp and mould to thrive.

She said she believes that if the problems had been addressed as promised when she moved in, they would not have developed into what they are today.

Shelley is also concerned the mould is affecting her family’s health.

‘I keep a really clean house. I am constantly cleaning and washing, she said.

‘But the baby and my 21-month-old little one seem to always have runny noses and are poorly.

‘It is just horrible living here. You walk into the living room and you would not think there is a problem but when I pull the furniture out you can see the mould.

‘The worst of the problem is in the bedrooms and by my son’s cot.

‘Bleach seems to be the only thing that gets it off but I get a headache from how often I am doing that.’

Shelley said the situation was taking its toll.

‘I am trying so hard; I feel a failure as a mum and I am so stressed,’ she said.

‘This home was meant to be perfect for us but is inadequate because of the promises that were broken.

‘I clean and clean all day and look after my children but I just feel like all of us are living in a dirty home.’

Bromford has apologised to Shelley for the problems she has been facing.

Speaking last week, the housing provider’s associate director of localities, Dave Grinter, said: ‘We have been in contact with Miss Wilcox over the past week to try to finally resolve some of these issues for her.

‘We have arranged an independent surveyor to her home on Thursday [Feb 3] to carry out another survey to identify the causes of the damp she has been suffering so we can find a permanent solution for them.’

He said contractors had started to remove ivy from the side of the property and a year ago a ‘neighbourhood coach’ had helped Shelley set up an account so she could bid on a new home.

‘All our homes, and those of other housing associations, are available to bid through this system and we would encourage her to do so to find a home that is more suitable to the size of her family,’ Mr Grinter added.

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