Wendy's six-month nightmare

Wendy Anderson clutches a picture of her granddaughter Kayla who she wants to be able to come for visits again, but needs her flat fixed first.

Wendy Anderson lived in 57 Draffen Tower for a number of years with no issues until just before Christmas when a leak from upstairs damaged part of her ceiling.

That leak was identified as coming from the shower and fixed, but subsequent leaks from the toilet and a water tank mean that there isn’t a room left in Wendy’s flat without damage.

On top of the damage mould is starting to grow on the damp patches and Wendy is scared to clean them off for fear of damaging the ceilings which contain asbestos and are already showing signs of cracking.

She said: “For the first three or four years I lived here I didn’t have any bother, but since Christmas it has been am absolute nightmare.

“The situation has left me so stressed out it caused me to have some sort of breakdown and I actually had to go to live with my mother for a time.

“The whole place is so musty that I am coughing all the time and I am worried about what breathing in the mould spores and possibly asbestos might be doing to me.

“I used to have my infant granddaughter Kayla over to stay, but she got sick so often after being here that my daughter has stopped her visiting and it isn’t hard to understand why. I want to be able to look after her knowing that her health is not going to be affected by the state of the flat.

“I truly hope the council can ensure there are no more leaks coming from upstairs and then fix up the flat so that it is truly habitable once again.”

The council claims all the leaks have been dealt with and it will work with Wendy to get the necessary repairs done.

A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said: “We had hoped to have this issue resolved in January this year, but our tenant decided against additional repairs and redecoration at that time.

“We have arranged with Ms Anderson for a full inspection of the property so we can carry out all necessary repair work and redecoration at the earliest opportunity.

“There are no outstanding water ingress issues in the surrounding flats.

“We will take all necessary steps to ensure this property is brought up to the standards expected and we will work closely with Ms Anderson to make sure this happens.”