The family of a girl who must shower regularly to avoid infection was left without hot water and heating for days, her mother has claimed.

Anne*, the girl's mother who lives with her family in temporary accommodation under the Private Sector Leased (PSL) property scheme, said on December 30 she woke up to see two bubbles on her bedroom ceiling. 

Promptly calling Havering Council, which while not her landlord is still responsible for her tenancy management, she said they sent two engineers who removed some of the plaster on her bedroom ceiling to access the leaking pipes. 

Switching the boiler off, she claims she was then left for six days until the following Thursday (January 5), before her boiler was fixed and turned back on. 

In that time, the plaster on the ceiling of her kitchen collapsed due to leaks, she claimed, resulting in debris going everywhere. 

Anne also said the boiler stopped working again the same night it was fixed. 

Romford Recorder: Anne said the ceiling had been damaged in both her bedroom and kitchenAnne said the ceiling had been damaged in both her bedroom and kitchen (Image: Supplied)

The lack of hot water was a particular issue, she said, as her daughter has a stoma - a surgical opening on the stomach.

The girl needs to be regularly cleaned to avoid potential infections, her mother said.

“She needs to have showers and they (the council) know this,” Anne said. “She has open infections.” 

The hole in her bedroom ceiling has also meant Anne has had to sleep downstairs, resulting in what she described as a “health hazard, because the kitchen is tied to the living room”. 

Anne and her children were temporarily put up in a hotel, before moving back home on January 11 after the boiler was again fixed. 

However, she claimed she was told her ceilings would not be sorted until January 26, meaning she and her family are having to live with exposed pipes and holes in their home. 

Havering Council did not respond to a query asking why it was taking until January 26 to get the ceilings fixed. 

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A spokesperson however did say: “The resident has been kept up-to-date throughout the repairs and we’re pleased that the boiler has now been fixed and that the family has both heating and hot water. 

“We are also working with the resident to find alternative accommodation which is more suitable for her family’s needs.” 

*The mother’s name has been changed to protect her anonymity.