Norwich family's seven-year house hell plagued by mould

Ian Greengrass lives in a ground-floor flat in Longmead, Norwich with wife Tracy and 12-year-old son, Isaac.

The building is owned by the city council with the family acting as leaseholders.

The 56-year-old, a street waste inspector for Norfolk County Council, had lived in the property with his mother since the early 90s.

 After Ian got married they let out the flat.

Ian Greengrass and his wife Tracy (Image: Tracy Greengrass)

Before the Greengrass' moved back in in 2015, the previous tenants complained that mould grew on the walls and clothes and the family had tried to help.

Mr Greengrass says that with each winter that passes issues with moisture get persistently worse.

Mould on the walls in the Greengrass' flat in Longmead, Norwich (Image: Tracy Greengrass)

He said: "The mould has been growing on the inside of the external walls of both of our bedrooms and on the slats of our son's brand new bed and mattress.

"We bought it in October and within two weeks the bottom of his bed was growing stalagmites of mould.

Fast-growing mould on 12-year-old Isaac Greengrass' bed (Image: Tracy Greengrass)

"It absolutely stinks. You can smell it as soon as you open the door.

"Mould has destroyed our carpets as well as our clothes.

"I've never seen anything like it."

Fast-growing mould on 12-year-old Isaac Greengrass' bed (Image: Tracy Greengrass)

Isaac had to sleep in the living room on a blow-up bed for a number of weeks.

His parents have tried to fix the issue by painting the bed with a special solution aimed to keep the mould at bay.

Issues with damp outside the Greengrass' ground-floor flat in Longmead, Norwich (Image: Tracy Greengrass)

He added: "The bedrooms are soaked. We bought a hygrometer which has recorded humidity levels as high as 94pc.

"When we use a window vacuum to remove the water from our windows each morning we collect 300ml.

The humidity recorded in the Greengrass' ground-floor flat (Image: Tracy Greengrass)

"We installed a portable dehumidifier and in three hours it took more than a litre of water from the air in Isaac's room.

"All we are doing is masking the problem."

Mould growing on a bedroom wall in the Greengrass' ground-floor flat (Image: Tracy Greengrass)

Norwich City Council is yet to respond to the Greengrass' recent issues and was not available for comment.

"We're very concerned about our well-being," he added.

"It is not healthy to live in these conditions.

"We feel dirty. You feel bad as a parent for subjecting your child to this."