Mum of twins in despair at 'damp' flat

Mar 31 2010 By Tammy Hughes

Claire Malshinger fears her damp council flat is putting her baby's health at risk

A MOTHER of twins has spoken of her despair of being forced to live in a flat she claims is putting her son's health in jeopardy.

Claire Malshinger, 30, gave birth to two twins in February 2009 just 7 months into her pregnancy. After one of her son's developed fluid in the lungs the decision was made to induce the birth early at St Peter's hospital in Chertsey.

Baby Jack wasn't breathing when he was born and doctors raced to operate on him removing the bottom lobe of his left lung. For weeks Miss Malshinger and partner Danny Woodward were unable to hold their baby as they watched him battle for life.

Jack has suffered continuous breathing problems since birth which the couple claim have been exacerbated by damp in their rented accommodation in Virginia Water which they have lived in since January 2009.

The family do not know who the landlord is and the property is managed by Townsend Estate Agents in Egham.

Miss Malshinger said: “The house is covered in mould...we leave messages with the estate agents and no-one gets back to us. We were told that the landlord said the damp was our fault because there had never been mould before.

“I'm on anti-depressants because my child won't get any better, there hasn't been a month since Jack has been born that we haven't been sat in a hospital or in a doctors surgery.”

Townends have taken out work on the property which they claim have solved the problem. The work included painting over the mould in various rooms of the flat and removing a wardrobe that was obscuring a window even though the couple were not given a key to open it.

A spokesperson from the Estate Agents said: “We can confirm that these issues were reported to the landlord who has dealt with the matter in what we would deem to be a fair and reasonable manner. As of the 18th February, works were instructed and carried out costing in excess of £2000 in order to rectify the problem. To our knowledge there are no further grievances relating to damp at the property.”

Miss Malshinger claims that the problems persist and an inspection of the property will be taken out by Runnymede Council this week.