I am the housing ombudsman. I am not part of the emergency services, but that is what it has felt like over the past week. In the aftermath of the terrible revelations about Awaab Ishak, and the horror of a two-year-old boy dying from exposure to mould in his home, referrals of cases to me have leapt by 33%. That should give us all pause.
When I heard Awaab’s father give evidence at the coroner’s inquest and recall the desperate attempts he had made to get help for his son, I heard the despair that has prompted anger and disbelief around the country.
