A MOULD-RIDDEN flat in St Albans in which a mother-of-two was forced to bring up her children is finally being cleaned up after the problems were highlighted in the Review.

Tracey Morris, of Telford Court, off Alma Road, contacted the Review after claiming her calls to St Albans District Council for help in solving the problem were ignored.

The 30-year-old said she was heading into a state of depression after struggling to raise her two children, three-year-old Chloe and two-year-old Joshua, who were constantly suffering from coughs and colds due to the damp and mouldy conditions.

She said simple advice from the district council, for example to keep the flat ventilated and keep windows open, were not helping to remedy the mould.

However, since the problems between the district council and Ms Morris were published in the Review, the single mother says she feels there is a glimmer of hope that the council will help her remedy the problems for good.

She said: “They have started proper work in the flat today. They are going to put vents in the two bedrooms and the bathroom.

“I have also been told they will do a fungal wash on all the walls to clean off the mould which has stuck onto the walls.”

Ms Morris added: “The housing department has been in contact with me since you wrote the stories; I just wish they could have done this earlier.”

Chris Damri, interim asset manager at the district council, said that the council had just recently reviewed the way it deals with tenants suffering from problems caused by condensation, and since hearing about the mould in Ms Morris' flat, officers have carried out home visits to discuss a way of dealing with the situation.