On the same estate that tragic Awaab Ishak had lived, breathing in his killer, Michael Gove promised action. The housing secretary had just met Awaab's parents before visiting the Freehold estate, in Rochdale, where the family used to call home.
He was a stone's throw away from the one-bedroom flat where Awaab's parents felt 'absolutely trapped' while social landlord Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) failed to deal with the stubborn, thick black mould that would ultimately lead to Awaab's death. Mr Gove said: "It's difficult isn't it, when you've got a mum and dad who have lost a two-year-old son, to imagine what they have been going through.
"I just said to Awaab's parents that I was sorry for what had happened, but I admired their bravery. I was sad that no one had listened to them properly in RBH in order to make sure that they and their son were living in a decent home, and I discussed with them and with the legal team that had been helping them, what we can do in order to learn from this tragedy and ensure that something like this doesn't happen again in future."
