A single mum-of-three has sued her landlord over the mould which plagued her home for years - and won a £2,500 payout. Sara-Jae Gumbley was forced to endure a three-year 'living nightmare' during which she would buy as many as 20 air fresheners a month to mask the 'unbearable' smell of her damp, three-bed semi-detached house.
The 36-year-old and her three children - aged between five and 13 - also had to share the same bathroom at their home in Eastbourne, East Sussex, due to the downstairs toilet being 'black with mould' and unusable after a drainpipe leak. But despite repeatedly reporting the disgusting conditions to her landlord, Eastbourne Borough Council, she said it did little to resolve the situation.
Ms Gumbley admitted the mould 'took over our lives' as she began to fear for the health of 13-year-old son Brandon, 11-year-old daughter Kaiya and five-year-old daughter Letti. She eventually called upon the help of specialist housing disrepair solicitors who fought her legal case on her behalf and won.
