Child mould exposure death increases fear in Rotherham

Awaab Ishak died from a respiratory condition caused by sub-standard rented accommodation in Rochdale in 2020.

A coroner ruled that the two-year-old’s ill-health had been caused by exposure to mould — and Rochdale Council had done nothing to resolve the problem despite years of complaints.

Rotherham Council (RMBC) is aware that damp and issues stemming from condensation are frequent causes for complaint.

The number of concerns raised has increased since Awaab’s inquest in November.

RMBC housing director Ian Spicer said: “We recognise the concerns that are going to be coming out from the public and members. It’s an horrific, horrific scenario for that family.

“We are gearing up our communications right now in terms of the advice and information to try and provide reassurance to people.

“We do of course have a history of complaints about mould and damp, etc, which the housing service keeps a record of and we’re revisiting those complaints to ensure that the work has been done and there’s no more.

“We certainly would expect more enquires generally on that issue because it’s so horrific.

“We highlight in the housing that we’re responsible for where it’s more likely to be, because of the type of build or the age.”

RMBC says processes are in place to help residents by inspecting properties, referring to specialists where necessary, and taking remedial action.

Paul Walsh, assistant director for housing, added: “When an incident as terrible as this occurs, you do get lots of enquiries as people are worried and concerned. We have seen that since new broke about the child’s death.

“We’ve been doing communication around mould and condensation for quite a while. The latest was in our tenants’ newsletter in July, so it’s something we do revisit with tenants on a regular basis to help them understand how they can report an issue and also to understand around prevention.”

Cllr Maggi Clark, RMBC chair of scrutiny, said she had seen a rise in the number of residents getting in touch with complaints about damp and mould.

She added: “For me, it was a number of elderly people who probably would never have contacted me in any other case.”