Shocking images from inside the home of Awaab Ishak days after the toddler's death have been released during his inquest. The little boy died just days after his second birthday, having lived in the Ilminster block on the Freehold estate, in Rochdale.
During evidence heard yesterday (November 4) at Rochdale Coroners' Court, it was revealed that Awaab's father Faisal Abdullah had first reported mould in his kitchen in autumn 2017 - more than a year before his son had been born. The court heard he was told to 'paint over it' by a member of staff at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), which manages the estate.
A Manchester Evening News investigation this summer revealed how other families were living in similar situations on the same estate. Greater Manchester Police also spoke to other tenants, both at the same block and elsewhere on the estate, who had issues with mould earlier this year.
Mr Abdullah told coroner Joanne Kearsley he had never been told to specifically use anti-mould paint, and had not experienced damp and mould before when it first appeared, two years after his arrival in the UK from Sudan. The court heard the mould had returned by autumn 2018 in the kitchen and bathroom, before Awaab's premature birth in December 2018.
Mr Abdullah complained about the damp and mould, and first applied for a new home for his family in May 2019, before later making further bids for housing. One email sent by Mr Abdullah in 2020 while his wife Aisha Amin was pregnant with their second child, read out in court, said: "Kitchen... damp is really bad... I have a kid and my wife, she pregnant. I need further movement please."
Awaab was reported to have a history of blocked nose and coughing on several occasions in his young life. Ms Amin said Awaab was prescribed an inhaler for his nose in autumn 2020, and he had been struggling to breathe through his nose.
She described telling health visitors about the damp and mould in November 2020, around the same time Awaab began suffering a continuous cough. Ms Amin described a yellow liquid also leaking into the kitchen, and the effect damp had on her.
"When anyone came to the flat they said it was disgusting and I felt sad about it," she said. "I would rather visit my friends than have people visit the flat."
Awaab was reported to have had a sore throat for three weeks before December 16, and three days later he was admitted to Rochdale Urgent Care Centre. Following transfer to Royal Oldham Hospital, he was treated for croup and discharged on December 20.
Ms Amin told the inquest her son was unable to sleep through the night, and he was admitted to Rochdale Urgent Care Centre again on December 21, then transferred to Royal Oldham Hospital where he sadly died. She described the moment she arrived at the hospital following her own appointment regarding her pregnancy.
"When I got to hospital I saw my son in bed surrounded by doctors," she said. "About 30 minutes after arriving, Awaab died."
GMP visited the property where Awaab had lived in the days following his death and took photos from the scene, which were released by Rochdale Coroners Court yesterday. The court heard health visitors had also previously raised alarm about mould at the property, while the family had raised concerns about it.
The images show thick black mould in areas of the kitchen and bathroom of the property. During the inquest, housing ombudsman Richard Blakeway told the court that it was 'too simplistic' for housing associations to blame tenants for damp and mould at their homes.
He suggested damp was a 'symptom' of other long-standing issues with housing - and insisted social landlords should be more 'proactive' about tackling the problem. Discussing a report released last year by the ombudsman, he said: "The report acknowledges there may be factors like fuel poverty, age and design of homes, which may make the risk of damp and mould greater.
"Our report was to say that those are known risks and therefore it's important for them to think about their approach to make sure they address those known challenges." Awaab's inquest is expected to continue for another eight days.
Proceeding.
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