A MUM has been left horrified after living with rats that crawl over and bite her young children when they sleep in their hellhole flat.
Marie Duncan, 29, says she has been left feeling “suicidal” and described her social housing in Victoria, London, as a “prison”.
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The single mum-of-two was relocated to her flat, which belongs to the Peabody housing association, in October 2018.
And Marie claims that her housing has been riddled with rats and mice since moving in, reports Somerset Live.
Her living situation has caused her to worry for the safety of herself and her two young kids aged three and five with rodents “climbing over and biting” them in their sleep.
Marie said she had quickly noticed a number of other issues in the property immediately after moving.
She alleges that there are multiple holes in the floor as well as damage to the ceilings in the “nightmare” flat.
Marie said: “I’ve had times where I’ve been suicidal due to this – I’ve been at high risk of being hospitalised due to my mental health. It’s just been the most trying thing I’ve ever had to go through.
“Living in this property is like living in a prison with my children – that’s the only way I can describe it. It’s just been a complete nightmare living here.”
Marie’s five-year-old son is autistic and she believes the living environment and disruption has had a detrimental effect on her son’s well-being.
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She said: “It’s had such an effect on my son. There have been nights where he’s been continuously self-harming in the property due to it being unsuitable. It’s been awful…it’s a ridiculous level of disrepair, it’s a health and safety issue.”
The situation is made even worse as Marie has fibromyalgia, a serious long-term condition that causes pain all over the body.
She claims the hellish living conditions have worsened this and urged Peabody to “take her situation seriously”.
“It feels like [Peabody] is trying to always wash their hands of the situation.
“I feel like the way I’ve been left to live is inhumane. It’s been years of trauma for my kids, and definitely that would have affected their developmental process. I’ve been feeling like it’s going to be the death of my child.”
She added: “It’s just been a big battle – I was somebody who already suffered with depression and had taken medication in the past, and then coming into that property only made all that worse.
“I’ve been left to feel like if I was dead or something, only then would my child get help. I’ve been left to feel that if I wasn’t alive, then all of a sudden my child would be safeguarded.”
Peabody have said they are aware of mice but claims it has not had any reports of rodents biting the children.
A Peabody Housing Association spokesperson said: “Our neighbourhood manager for this estate has worked really hard to support and establish a good relationship with [Marie]. They are in touch regularly.
“We know that [Marie] would like a permanent move and she has a very high priority for this based on her circumstances. She also has the option of living in another property temporarily that has been found for her by Westminster City Council.
“In terms of the housing conditions, a report about mice was raised with us in January this year and we arranged for this to be dealt with through pest control contractors.
“The allegation that her children have been bitten by rodents has never been reported or mentioned to us. There are no open reports of antisocial behaviour but if [Marie] has specific concerns to raise then she can do so through the neighbourhood manager.”
The housing association added that they have tried to repair the property but have been knocked back on some occasions.
“The property needs some repairs which we have attempted to carry out, but often are not granted access to the property.
“We can do the work, but contractors will need to be allowed in during the day to complete these. We’ll keep working with partners to try and find a suitable property that she is happy to move to.”
Recently, a family complained of living in a mouldy flat rife with vermin that is covered in mouse droppings.
And last year another mum begged social services to move her kids somewhere safe away from their mice-infested flat.
