Time to turn up heat on landlords of cold, damp, mouldy flats says mum

A mother from Leeds says living with damp and excessive cold in her home for years left her feeling hopeless and fearful for her children's health.

- by Jennifer Cartwright

Leah (not her real name) first moved into her council flat in the city in 2009. From the start, she never felt warm, wrapping up in blankets and watching water droplets form on the windows - even in summer.

Over the years, the problem worsened and when Leah had her children, she noticed that their health was adversely affected.

She said: "With my first child, she was shivering all the time. Then with my second child it got worse. She was sensitive and any smell made her cough and sick all the time."

Leah is not alone. According to new data sourced by campaign group Health Equals, almost two in five adults in Yorkshire and the Humber - 39 per cent - live in homes with mould, damp or cold. The national average is 28 per cent.