A Suffolk family says their marriage has broken down and their 16-year-old daughter is ill due to asbestos, mould and crumbling ceilings in their council house.

Kayleigh Holmes has lived on the Causeway Estate in Hitcham, to the north-west of Ipswich, for nearly 20 years.

But in recent years she said the family home has been plagued by issues which she believes the district council hasn’t dealt with properly.

Babergh District Council has said the home is safe to live in after doing tests.

The authority also said it has carried out work at the property, but apologised for the inconvenience this has caused the family.

East Anglian Daily Times:

Mrs Holmes said: “My husband and I are separated and living in separate homes due to the stress and pressure of this whole situation.

"It has torn our family apart - the bills, the sicknesses, the constant re-decorating and having to re-buy all furniture.

"It has been a huge impact, our children have all felt this impact.

“It’s disgusting the way we’ve been treated.”

Mr Holmes and their daughter Yanaka have been left living out of just one room because of their concerns that the rest of the home is unliveable.

They have reported mould and damp throughout the property, with the living room walls wet to touch, black mould in the kitchen and wooden floors swelling with moisture.

While the council carried out mould work in the dinning room in 2022, Mrs Holmes said promised work elsewhere in the building was not carried out.

The home has asbestos in the loft, despite previous council contractors claiming this had all been removed.

Mrs Holmes said: “My daughter is off sick and has been off school with a chest infection. She’s in Year 11 and everyone knows how important that is.”

“Every little bang or vibration – it’s really scary. I don’t know how they’re sleeping here.

“This is having a huge impact and taking its toll. It needs to be said so others can see and hear what is happening. Others may also be going through the same thing and it needs to stop.”

A spokesperson for Babergh District Council said: “The safety of our tenants is of paramount importance and we would not allow anyone to stay in a property that was unsafe.

“We are investigating all issues raised about the work of the initial specialist asbestos removal contractor who attended the property – however, repeated air tests continue to show the air in the family’s living areas to be safe. 

"We will carry out a full environmental clean of the loft area over coming days which we hope will provide further reassurance.

“The roof has been recently replaced and is perfectly safe. 

"The acrow props are in place to provide additional support to a ceiling, with work to replace joists and repair cracks to be carried out as soon as the work in the loft is completed but, again, there is no question that the ceiling or room below are unsafe. 

“The chimney has been repointed and steps already put in place to reduce the amount of brick dust produced as work continues outside to improve the family’s home.

“Finally, a full damp and mould inspection has been carried out, and any problems areas cleaned and treated, with further work scheduled – including cavity wall insulation – to try to ensure the property remains problem free in future. 

"We apologise for any concern these works have caused in the meantime.”