Northampton family desperate to move out of their council flat, which regularly floods with human waste

A distressed Northampton family have been exposed to raw sewage in their flat for up to seven months and are calling on Northampton Partnership Homes to take action.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Oct 2016, 15:00 BST
Updated 25th Oct 2016, 19:39 BST

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A leaking sewage pipe leaves family bathroom flooding with human waste, urine and dirty washing machine waterA leaking sewage pipe leaves family bathroom flooding with human waste, urine and dirty washing machine water
A leaking sewage pipe leaves family bathroom flooding with human waste, urine and dirty washing machine water

The Kings Heath couple, who do not wish to be named, have had their bathroom swamped with human waste, urine and dirty washing machine water, which has been making the couple and the tenant’s five-year-old daughter ill.

The pair have claimed that the repair urgently needs fixing as the main sewage pipe for the block of flats floods into their bathroom.

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Speaking to the Chronicle and Echo, the source said: “My partner and I both suffer from depression, and the state of the bathroom is making us both feel run down and not happy. We wish we could move.

“My depression has started within the last year of living in the property because of the current state of our home.

“I have to ring my mop out at least six times a day because the floor is so wet.”

The young girl, who also lives in the flat, suffers from asthma and her mum says the stench from the ground-floor flat is affecting her condition.

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He added: “We have contacted Northampton Partnership Homes many times in the past six months and all they have said is that they will raise the repair, then we don’t hear anything back from them.

The family, who still manage to cook and sleep in the flat, have described the property as “un-liveable.”

Paul Clifford, head of maintenance at Northampton Partnership Homes said: “We are aware of the ongoing issues that our tenants are experiencing with their bathroom and have carried out a number of repairs over the last few months.

“We have identified a problem with the soil stacks that supply this block of flats and they all need replacing.

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“As some of the residents are leaseholders, because they have bought their flats, we have to consult them by law about the works that are needed before going ahead.

“This consultation finishes on Friday, October 14. In the meantime, we are visiting the family today to agree the best way forward until the soil stack can be fully replaced.”

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