Norwich family battling ever-growing mould in council home

Alan Vardy, 41, lives in Lionwood Road with his partner Sarah Young, 35, and their four children Luke, 13, Kacey-Kay, 10, Caitlan, nine and 11-month-old Aleigha.

It was Christmas 2022 when issues with water and mould started to manifest in the home where they have lived for 11 years.

Alan Vardy, left, with partner Sarah Young and their four children - Luke, 13, Kacey-Kay, 10, Cailtan, nine and 11-month-old Aleigha (Image: Alan Vardy)

"I started to get water and mould all around my windows," the dad-of-four explained.

"The seals are perfectly fine but no one could work out where the water was coming from this time.

Issues with damp and water in and around the windows in Alan Vardy's bedroom (Image: Alan Vardy)

"It seemed like water was leaking through cavities in the walls.

"But then again, I heard nothing from the council."

Alan Vardy, 41, said Norwich City Council has no regard for the health of his family (Image: Alan Vardy)

It wasn't until Alan - who suffers from lung condition mild emphysema - pulled some units away from a wall in his bedroom that the true extent of the problem was revealed.

"The amount of green mould that was there - and black mould on the walls - was horrendous.

Mould on furniture in Alan Vardy's home, which he shares with his partner and four children (Image: Alan Vardy)

"It's all around our skirting boards and in my son's bedroom on the walls - I've tried to clean it but it's not coming off.

"It's really bad.

Mould growing by a window in the bedroom of Alan Vardy's 13-year-old son Luke (Image: Alan Vardy)

"I don't know why Norwich City Council is allowing this to happen to us."

Norwich City Council did not respond to a request for comment.

Mould on the walls of Alan Vardy's bedroom, which he shares with partner Sarah Young and 11-month-old Aleigha (Image: Alan Vardy)

He added: "To force a family to live in a house with that amount of mould is a disgrace.

"My 11-month-old has been on two lots of antibiotics, which doctors think could be to do with the mould."

The mould in Alan Vardy and his partner Sarah Young's bedroom in their Lionwood Road, Norwich home (Image: Alan Vardy)

The mould has forced Alan and Sarah to sleep on a mattress on the floor of their living room with little Aleigha in a cot by their side.

"The council has no regard for our health," Alan said.

Mould growing in the window of a bedroom shared by Alan Vardy's two daughters Kacey-Kay, 10, and Caitlan, nine (Image: Alan Vardy)

"If they did they would have sent someone to investigate a long time ago or move us into emergency housing.

"They're fobbing us off. They don't know how we're living. They haven't even asked to see photos.

Skirting boards covered in mould in Alan Vardy's bedroom, which he shares with partner Sarah Young and their 11-month-old daughter (Image: Alan Vardy)

"By my head in the master bedroom is a wet patch. I'm scared that I could get hurt if the ceiling came down in my sleep."