A BABY was hospitalised with breathing difficulties “because of damp and mould” at a family’s Laindon home.

Francesca Clark, 31 and her partner Andy Coleson, 38, claim their Russell Close flat is “infested with mould”.

The Clarion Housing tenants say their seven-month-old son, Teddy, was hospitalised as a result of the conditions.

The youngster was taken to Basildon Hospital on Thursday, January 6 where he was kept under observation for 24 hours.

The couple claim doctors told them his illness was caused from living in damp and mouldy conditions.

Clarion Housing acted swiftly to move the family into a hotel the day Teddy was released; but his parents say they had pleaded with the association to fix their home for months.

“We presumed he was just ill due to the time of year. He was in and out of hospital with breathing problems,” Mr Coleson said.

“It wasn’t until the last visit that we were told by the consultant that it was because of the damp and mould.

“It was terrifying knowing our son was being made ill in the flat.

“We just want to go home, but we want our home to be made safe to a standard where we can be confident Teddy won’t get sick again.”

Mr Coleson claims the couple had begged Clarion to fix the issues.

“They did send people around, but the fix was always just surface level. They would clean away the mould but there was no effort to fix the issues causing it,” he said.

“It’s not easy raising a baby in a hotel room. We have had to wash his bottles in the bathroom as there is no other place to do it.”

A Clarion spokesman said: “We take every case of condensation, damp and mould very seriously and we are committed to a permanent resolution to the issue in Ms Ward’s home.

“As soon as we learned of Ms’ Ward’s son’s health issues we arranged for an immediate move.  

“We have carried out three separate mould washes, in October, December and January and commissioned a specialist survey.

“As a result of the survey, conducted on January 9, we have arranged for repairs to rectify the root cause of the mould. All work will be completed by the end of next week, and we will provide temporary accommodation and continued support to the family following their return home.”