A dad in Edinburgh blames being trapped in a mouldy council flat for preventing him from seeing his son.
Aaron Jones, 43, says damp and water leaks at his home at Craigmillar Court are causing his family health problems. And he says the issues also prevent weekend visits from his son.
His partner Andrea Jones, 32, recently lost her mum who lived across the landing and also reported an array of issues with her living conditions before she passed away.
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The bereavement hit the family hard while not being able to spend quality time with his son is another blow for Aaron.
The council has confirmed that it has surveyed these properties on the seventh floor and has arranged for contractors to carry out repairs and are sorry for the ongoing issues the tenants are experiencing.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live Aaron said: "I first reported it on April 25 to repairs direct and they sent a plumber out who turned up had a look went to check the house above me came back and told me the house above is empty.
"They took me up to show me the leak is actually coming from 9/4 and said he can't get access to the property and I would have to phone up again.
"I have since phoned and reported it four times and had two different plumbers labour and an electrician and still nothing was done.
"My wife has just lost her mother on April 20 to a sepsis infection in her dialysis line which lead to a kidney infection, she stayed across the landing from us and had mould problems too.
"My wife is on tablets for autoimmune hepatitis and I have osteoarthritis in my hips and knees so we can do without all this stress of having to redecorate every few months not to mention the house is always freezing which plays on my osteoarthritis. There are days when I can hardly move because of it."
He continued: "We have lived here since 2012 and pretty much had problems since we moved in but it has gone downhill in the last couple of years.
"I have custody to see my son on weekends but he doesn't come anymore due to the condition of the house."
A City of Edinburgh Council said: "We strive to make sure that our tenants and residents live in safe homes where their health is a priority and urge anyone with issues around mould or dampness in their home to get in touch with the Council.
"Our officers will visit as soon as they can to see what help can be offered."
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They continued: "As part of the Committee update, officers also brought forward a robust Damp Improvement Plan – detailing steps which will build upon the huge volume of work we have already carried out in a short time to improve the way damp concerns are reported, recorded, investigated, and addressed.
"We’re conscious waiting times for repairs are much longer than we’d like them to be right now, and we’re about to roll out a recruitment drive to increase our abilities even further.
"The work we’re carrying out is complex and will take some time, but it will lead to many homes becoming better places to live."
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