A DISABLED pensioner says "breathing is getting harder and harder" in his mouldy home and is worried for the health of his partner and children.

Thomas Kimberlin, aged 73, who has a tracheostomy and uses oxygen mostly four times a day, says the black mould keeps returning after being cleaned.

He lives at a two-bedroom home on Hanstone Road in Stourport with his partner Heather, aged 43, and two children aged 12 and five. He says is concerned about the health of his family and wants the Wyre Forest Community Housing group to relocate them to another property.

Community Housing has said it has inspected reports of damp and mould in the home and has claimed that the central heating system has not been used correctly to prevent condensation. The group has also said its supporting his request for alternative accommodation.

(Image: Thomas Kimberlin)

Mr Kimberlin uses a feeding machine and has a bed in the downstairs living room. He claims that the family don't use one of the bedrooms due to the mould and that his partner and children sleep in the same room.

Mr Kimberlin said: "The mould is getting really bad now.

"We have had it here for the last three years. The one bedroom we can't use at all.

"It's a living hell for me. It's impacting on my life and it's impacting on my children.

"The situation is not getting better it's getting worse. My breathing is suffering.

"I'm in here 24/7. I try to keep the windows open as much as I can.

"I want a better environment so I can breathe properly. My mental health is starting to deteriorate as well".

"All I want to do is get out of here".

(Image: Thomas Kimberlin)

A spokesperson for Community Housing said: "We have visited Mr Kimberlin’s home to inspect the reports of damp.

"It appears that the central heating system has not been used correctly to keep their home warm and reduce levels of condensation. This has led to black mould on cold surfaces such as window sills.

"Mr Kimberlin also uses calor gas heaters which increase moisture in the air. 

"There are some minor repairs to carry out to the roof at the front of the property which we will attend to.

"In the meantime, we have been working with Mr Kimberlin to support his request to move to alternative accommodation to ease his existing health condition.

"Despite several considerations of offers that have been refused, we hope to find the family a home that will suit their needs shortly.

They added: "We take damp and mould very seriously and have a system set up not only to try and deal with the immediate issue, but we keep in touch with the customer and check that it hasn’t returned.  Our teams are technically trained to identify damp and mould and come up with solutions. 

"We provide a lot of information and advice about trying to prevent damp and mould from occurring and we actively encourage customers to report their concerns at an early stage so that we can prevent a build-up. 

"Reports can be made through our customer service centre on 0300 003 5454".