Four months ago, a water pipe burst in our street and flooded the bathroom in our lower-ground-floor flat. The damage forced us to move out and we are still waiting for Thames Water and its insurer for a repair. When the burst pipe was discovered, the mains water was not shut off and it was five days before engineers came. By then, water had flooded a large area of the street and leaked through the light fittings in our bathroom. A dehumidifier made little difference and, three weeks later, we were moved into an apart-hotel while builders stripped the bathroom.
That was two months ago and no one has returned since. In the meantime, our landlord commissioned a survey, which recommended a programme of works, but repeated calls to Thames and its insurer have been ineffective. I suffered a miscarriage shortly after the flood, and believe severe stress was a factor. I am now seven weeks pregnant, and we are desperate to return home. Our 81-year-old landlord also had his health affected by the worry.
AH, London
