Thornton Heath man fears his damp-ridden council home will kill him
by Dave Burke
dave.burke@essnmedia.co.uk
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"DON'T LEAVE MY CHILDREN AS ORPHANS": Leukaemia sufferer Joseph Williams is worried the damp at his Thornton Heath home is putting his life in danger Photo No: CCRdf270609a10 by Danny Fitzpatrick
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"DON'T LEAVE MY CHILDREN AS ORPHANS": Leukaemia sufferer Joseph Williams is worried the damp at his Thornton Heath home is putting his life in danger Photo No: CCRdf270609a10 by Danny Fitzpatrick
A leukaemia-stricken dad has pleaded with Croydon Council: "Move me out of my home or see my children become orphans."
Joseph Williams was diagnosed with the deadly disease earlier this year and claims the damp in his family's flat is making him even weaker.
Doctors at Mayday Hospital have written to the council calling for housing chiefs to find somewhere more suitable for the 43-year-old to live.
They fear the moisture and mould at his home in Parchmore Road, Thornton Heath, could make him more prone to infections.
"Being in the flat makes me vomit," Mr Williams explained.
"Since I came out of hospital I've had to use anti-sickness tablets.
"I don't know what I've done to the council for them to keep on treating me like this.
"Because of this I am refusing to pay my rent or my council tax. They'll have to take me to court."
If the worst was to happen Mr Williams believes the council would face court action itself from his grieving family.
He added: "I'd rather they moved me than have to compensate my family because I am dead."
Mr Williams is currently being treated at Mayday for acute myeloid leukaemia.
A letter from Dr Matthew Jenner, a locum consultant at Mayday, to the council's housing department, warns that remaining in the flat could prove fatal for Mr Williams.
He wrote: "My colleagues have contacted your department previously to request that this matter could be dealt with urgently.
"I would like to reiterate that request, as a person's home environment is as important as the hospital care they receive in terms of avoiding serious, potentially life-threatening, infections."
Mr Williams, who moved into the two-bedroom council flat with his wife and six children three years ago, says the damp started to appear in 2007.
Since then repeated efforts to get the council to sort the problem out have fallen on deaf ears.
He has contacted his local MP, Malcolm Wicks, who has also written to the council calling for the family to be moved.
Ironically, Mr Williams works for the council's waste contractors, Veolia.
Even if he wasn't ill he says he would like somewhere with more room for himself, wife Taibatu, 38, and children Teresa, 20, Mary, 18, Joseph Jnr, 16, Jessica, 6, Joshua, 4, and Mercy, 2.
He said: "We have eight members of the family sharing one toilet and one bathroom.
"I want my family to live in a good place."
The council says it is working on sorting out the damp problem, and claimed that it did not know about Mr Williams' illness until last Friday.
A spokeswoman said: "We have been trying to treat a problem at Mr Williams' home caused by condensation and poor ventilation.
"We were very sorry to hear about Mr Williams' illness, which we were first informed of on June 26 when his doctor requested that we carry out this work whilst Mr Williams was not at home.
"We are currently liaising with Mr Williams' family to find the best and most suitable way of getting the work completed as soon as possible."
6 Comments
by anon, croydon
Tuesday, July 07 2009, 10:25AM
“Perhaps if there was not so many people living in such a small space the issue of damp would not be so bad. The two older children are definately old enough to live on there own. It surprises me why people have so many children when in this situation. Isnt that making a bad situation worse????”
by Brown Boy, The Heath
Monday, July 06 2009, 10:35AM
“I have to agree with you there Dave. I had to read it twice before I realised that two of his 'Children' are 20 and 18.
Don't Mr. and Mrs. Williams have a telly? That's one hell of a big family.”
by Arfur Daley, Croydon
Monday, July 06 2009, 3:42AM
“He shouldn't worry about his free taxpayer provided accommodation killing him. More likely one of his neighbours will.”
by dave, croydon
Sunday, July 05 2009, 7:14PM
“i am sorry he is ill but that is a side issue here. the main issue is why do people have so many kids and then expect the council to house them? if he only had 2 then maybe he could have afforded a better place. a man can have the snip.”
by ANNE, SELSDON
Sunday, July 05 2009, 12:24PM
“I agree wholeheartedly.”
by Anon, Anon
Sunday, July 05 2009, 12:03PM
“This is disgusting, especially in this day and age...
But prehaps his older children can find there own places, there old enough now, that would help reduce the numbers in the house hold. And as for this mans health, i agree, he should not be living in a damp flat...And it may be a good idea now, for them to stop having more children...”