A two-year-old boy died after being exposed to damp and mould on a Greater Manchester estate. Awaab Ishak died just over a week after his second birthday.
His family had been complaining to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) over the state of their upstairs flat for years - even before he was born. A pre-inquest review heard how Awaab's death was linked to the conditions he was living in.
Scarcely anyone knew of Awaab's death outside his family and official circles. But after the Manchester Evening News learned of the tragedy at a pre-inquest review, we went in search of his family. The journey taken, by M.E.N reporter Stephen Topping, would uncover a discomforting story of life in modern Britain - where too many families live in fear of their own homes.
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The sun drenches the Freehold estate on a hot July afternoon. Washing hangs on lines across balconies and the occasional passer-by rushes through the pebbledash-clad maze next to one of Greater Manchester's busiest roads. Chunky flies swirl in the heat outside people's homes while litter sits in the corners of stairwells.
But it's quiet. It's the third block on the Freehold estate that I've tried so far - at least 50 doors - and the vast majority of knocks have gone unanswered. Tenants I've spoken to so far have asked to remain anonymous, fearing a backlash for speaking out.
A 21-year-old woman is the first tenant happy to be named. Mariana Embolo says damp and mould at her home has been 'really bad, awful'. "Since we moved here 10 years ago we have been painting and cleaning," she tells me. "We do whatever we can but it keeps coming back."
Mariana tells me of another resident who has been really struggling with damp and mould in recent weeks. She says her mum has been making frequent visits to their home to help them deal with the problem.
I go round to speak to the tenant and knock on the door. As it opens, a wave of hot, damp air hits me in the face - the smell is instantly recognisable. I introduce myself and explain why I'm there, but the resident doesn't want to talk about it.
It's the death of a child that has led me to this estate, the same Rochdale estate Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe grew up on after his family left the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Little Awaab Ishaak, whose parents will have had dreams for him, lived here too, before his lungs gave up on him, days after his second birthday. Damp and mould is believed to have led to him becoming fatally ill.
The death of a child. Every parent's worst nightmare. But to have witnessed the presence of what could be your child's 'killer' - having tried to fight it before he was even born -that is somehow even more cruel.
Awaab's father moved to the property in 2016, before his wife followed two years later. Throughout that time, the family had made frequent complaints about mould, a pre-inquest review held in June heard.
The pathologist who carried out the post-mortem on Awaab gave the medical cause of Awaab's death as acute airway edema and severe granulosis bronchitis due to environmental lung exposure. A report carried out by Rochdale Council following his death found 'category one' harm, or extreme harm, due to damp and mould. The family had tried to move home and even filed a disrepair claim. The social landlord dismissed the damp as 'unsightly' at the time - but not a risk to health, the court heard.
I first visited Freehold the day after details of Awaab's death were made public at Rochdale Coroners' Court. It began with what we hoped would be a straight forward chat with the family about their little boy and what happened to him. Awaab's father had attended court, listening to proceedings through an Arabic translator before being ushered away at the end of the hearing.
I had three people on standby ready to translate Arabic between myself and Awaab's family before I knocked on the door of the upstairs address on the Ilminster block at Freehold. But the family - understandably - don't live there anymore. Of course they don't. You wouldn't stay in the home that an expert pathologist believes killed your son. A rather confused man opens the door instead, and I try to explain who I am and why I'm there.
We wanted to speak to the family, but we also wanted to know what it was like inside the properties. I began knocking on the doors along the same row where Awaab lived and few people answered. Some struggled with English while others quickly brushed me off - but none were aware of Awaab and his family.
It was the beginning of a long search for the family - which took in Rochdale, Manchester and West Yorkshire. Neighbours, councillors, community leaders, mosques, shopkeepers and 'good contacts' with their fingers in many Rochdale pies - all unaware of the harrowing story about Awaab or his family.
A Janazah announcements page on Facebook, which gives details on funeral arrangements in Muslim communities, had listed Awaab's death in December 2020. It was the only online presence for Awaab, his father Faisal Abdullah, or the tragedy that had unfolded. Bizarrely, it was on a Janazah page for Keighley in West Yorkshire, and not one for Greater Manchester.
I continued making calls and face-to-face visits with different people in Rochdale who I hoped might be aware of Awaab's story or knew the family. Each conversation would follow a similar pattern. I'd tell them what I knew about Awaab and his family, the other person would express their shock and say how sad the situation is, before telling me they hadn't known about it before this conversation.
Their horror over what had happened on a social housing estate in their town was genuine - and so many people across Rochdale were generous in offering to help me, exchanging contact details and speaking to others they knew in case they were aware of the family - but there was no breakthrough.
The Keighley Facebook post had baffled me, until a suggestion from a colleague over a pint which made sense - perhaps Awaab had family in Keighley and spent time there, which is why people in Rochdale hadn't been aware of what was happening. It sparked a series of calls to the other side of the Pennines, but proved to be a red herring.
As days turned into weeks during the search for Awaab's family, another picture was beginning to emerge on the estate they had once called home. Along the row of homes below where Awaab lived, two tenants became the first to share their experiences of damp and mould at their homes.
One woman had moved in just months after Awaab's death, but her property had been plagued by the issue, she claimed. It took its toll on her health, as she began to develop 'asthmatic symptoms' she previously hadn't suffered. Asking to remain anonymous, she said: "Before I moved in they should have done checks. I don't know how they missed it."
She added: "It took them six months until I said it was illegal what they were doing. It caused me breathing issues as it went on." The tenant shared images of the problem at its worst - thick black mould affecting her kitchen. Knowing what had happened at a property on the same block as her home, Ilminster, it was chilling to listen to.
Eventually workers came out to sort the issue, putting a board on the affected wall and 'painting over it', she said. RBH says it can take 'several visits' to carry out its standard treatment of mould - using an anti-mould spray, followed by anti-condensation coating, possibly with a second layer.
The woman had lived at the property for less than two years. Another neighbour at the same block had stayed at their home for much longer. Being translated into English by her young daughter, the mum described her frustration at battling RBH for repairs in years gone by, only to give up trying and decide to repair any issues herself.
It was still proving difficult to get much information from those living at the estate. Many doors went unopened after a knock, with those living inside likely to be at work. Some who did open the door had limited English, while others didn't feel comfortable talking. One door was opened by two schoolboys with a dog wearing a makeshift nappy, which ran out of the home and had to be chased by the kids.
The project continued as the dry summer went on. Just days before the 37C scorcher, there was an afternoon where the estate seemed to come alive. At the opposite side of the estate to Ilminster, a large group had gathered to enjoy drinks in the sunshine on a shared lawn outside their homes. With a loud sound system they played out Dance Monkey by Tones And I on repeat, over and over again. If you're not familiar with the 2019 hit, it's irritating enough after just one listen.
There are other problems evident on the Freehold estate that have nothing to do with remedial work. Drug dealing is a major concern. One resident, who had no issues with mould, said he had asked to leave because he felt unsafe - with 'lots of drug dealing' happening 'all the time'.
Some families who made unsuccessful attempts to leave their damp homes on Freehold for another social property in Rochdale also referenced the problem. One father described 'being harassed by those who not only smoke but also sell drugs around this area'. He wrote: "I do not want my children to grow up under these conditions and be influenced by these bad examples."
At least two properties on the estate appear to be used as drug dens. The M.E.N. witnessed individuals entering each one for short periods of time before quickly leaving. Outside one of the properties, a man worriedly asked why we were at the estate with a camera, before going inside. At the other property, a man who parked up in an flashy car escorts someone inside.
Every single time I visited Freehold, a police car or van would drive through, with officers keeping an eye on the estate. RBH says it is currently working with the police on an open case in connection with drug use, following a resident complaint. The housing association says it has provided CCTV footage to Greater Manchester Police.
After several days of door knocking on the estate, more families began to come forward with their experience. Leisy Cassandry, living at Hartlebury, told me about her relatives living elsewhere on the estate - Anacleto and Marlene Cassandra, with their two young daughters, Yasmine and Zoe. Leisy told me the family would battle mould every year and were constantly keep trying to stay on top of it.
The family agreed to chat to me. They spoke of their stubborn battles - with the council for a new home, with RBH for repairs, and with the mould itself. They said the problem was at its worst in the winter, but even in a dry July - with two dehumidifiers at work and all windows open - the problem was still bad enough.
"It's not OK when you have a little one and they can't breathe properly," Marlene tells me. She's referring to the asthma Yasmine has suffered since she was less than a year old. The family say they received two letters from their GP to pass on in support of a bid for new housing - both times the approach was unsuccessful.
The news of Awaab's death rocks the couple. "When you told us about that, I was scared a little bit," Anacleto admits as we return to his home. "The little boy - I feel sorry for the family that lost him. It's not only my house that's the problem. We can't hide everything... we hide ourselves if we hide the problem. Maybe, if something bad happens to us, we would stop and think 'why did I not say this? Why did I not look for help?" He adds: "I just think about my family."
Anacleto and Marlene spoke of another family they knew on the estate who faced similar issues - Vilma Lavres and Amanyllo Alfonso, at Ilminster.
Their young son was rushed to hospital with bronchiolitis at just four months old. Vilma shows a harrowing video of little Gabriel struggling to breathe before he is admitted to hospital and the chilling email chains showing their desperate attempts to move home.
RBH told us: "We have not received any further reports of damp and mould at this home since the work carried out in January 2021. We have reached out to Vilma and Amanyllo in order to gain access to the home urgently to carry out a new inspection and to see how we can support the family and their housing need."
The council says current demand for social housing in Rochdale outstrips supply and accepts there are 'no immediate solutions' to a wider crisis that also affects other local authorities.
Vilma knew of another young family battling similar problems on the estate, Jorciney and Adatanilza da Cruz. Alongside the knocks I was carrying out across the estate, we were finally beginning to unravel a web.
Inside each of the homes we visited, the musty smell of damp was apparent. Tenants spoke of their frustration - the endless difficulty to clear off the mould once and for all. Some felt hopeless. Sarah Martingale, whose ceiling has been affected by leaks from above, said of RBH's efforts: "They are not bothered." She never knew of Awaab's death until we told her about it. The 53-year-old was visibly upset as she found out about it - and she was not the only one.
Coun Danny Meredith, portfolio holder for highways and housing on Rochdale Borough Council, previously served on the RBH representative body. He was removed from the position earlier this year after opposing the company's plans to knock down four of the town's Seven Sisters tower blocks.
The Labour member says he would be greeted with 'tuts' when he raised concerns about issues like damp and late repairs on the representative body, having been told by tenants about late repairs and mould being 'painted over' with anti-mould paint.
Coun Meredith said: "I've come across quite a number of cases where I have been emailed, RBH is an individual organisation where they deal with complaints separately to the council, and I can only forward the complaint on."
He insists that while RBH workers on the ground are doing their best, the policies about management of the housing association's stock are causing issues for residents. He added: "I feel sorry for tenants when they are putting their concerns forward. They come to the council as a last resort and the response we get is [RBH] will send someone out to look at it. We don't get the action from that, it's just that they have gone out, they inspect the house and the residents don't hear from them for months on end."
Responding to Coun Meredith's comments, a spokesperson for RBH said: "Councillors’ input and feedback is valuable and welcome. Members of the RBH team are liaising and constructively working with ward councillors each and every week. Councillor enquiries and case work is all logged centrally, acknowledged and assigned to the relevant team for a prompt response.
"In early 2022, elected tenant and employee representatives removed Coun Meredith from the RBH representative body for a breach of its code of conduct. Coun Meredith attended two out of nine representative body meetings, and we have no record of him raising any issues regarding damp and mould at either meeting."
The search for Awaab's family was proving difficult. Of all the people contacted in Rochdale, just one knew of Awaab's story. She knew the family had left the estate and we learned that they could have moved to Manchester. I took the same steps to try and find them in the north's biggest city, but it ultimately proved to be a needle in a haystack scenario. Eventually, we were informed the family had instructed a legal firm for Awaab's inquest and they did not wish to comment at this time.
It seems that Awaab's family battled the problems with mould on their own. Others on the Freehold estate were not aware of the trauma unfolding in their Ilminster home. News of the tragedy had not spread in local mosques and community centres. Awaab was at risk of becoming the forgotten boy.
Following the investigation, RBH says its team will inspect every one of the 376 homes on Freehold. Gareth Swarbrick, chief executive, said: "We are saddened to hear about the issues raised by residents in this piece. We have made direct contact with all the residents to look at how we can support them and to ensure their homes are at the standard we would wish to see.
"We have established a dedicated, specialist team who have started to visit every home in this neighbourhood to check the current condition of all of the 376 homes. We expect this to be completed by early September.
"Any issues relating to damp and mould will be dealt with as a priority. Actions could include installation of Positive Input Ventilation units and humidity sensors as well as three stage anti-mould treatments. The dedicated, specialist team can be contacted on freephone 0800 027 7769.”
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