The chief executive of the housing association that failed Awaab Ishak has confirmed that he will not resign over the toddler's death. Awaab died following prolonged exposure to mould at his home in the Freehold estate - managed by Rochdale Borough Housing (RBH).
In the days since a coroner ruled that the disgusting conditions in the one-bedroom flat contributed to Awaab's death, RBH boss Gareth Swarbrick has faced mounting calls to quit, including from Housing Secretary Michael Gove, who questioned why he was still in post following the conclusion of the inquest on Tuesday (November 15).
Mr Swarbrick, who 'politely declined' Manchester Evening News' request for an interview, has finally apologised to Awaab's family but said that he will not be resigning. "I want to start by saying how sorry I am to Awaab’s family for their loss - no apology will ever be enough," he said in a statement on the RBH website. The conversation around my position has begun to overshadow the most important part of all of this, which is that a family has lost their child.
