Mum terrified for kids at Lewisham home with 'mould and bed bugs'

Roxanne Hollick first moved into her flat in Elliot Bank in 2016 with the hopes of creating a “well-loved” family home.

The 30-year-old said the mould and bed bugs covering her flat that she shares with son Broady, one, daughter Rubiie-Lee, 10 and daughter Laney-Rae, 4, has become “unbearable” to live in.

Pictures of bed bugs in Roxanne's home (Image: Contributor)

She says she reported the issues to Lewisham Council but does not believe she is being taken seriously.

Roxanne said: “I first moved in here with my oldest daughter, Rubiee-Lee, and after living for a few months, I started seeing mould in every single corner of every room.

“The issue just got worse and worse, I tried to get rid of it and tried to decorate the walls with wallpaper, but the paper just kept falling off.

Pictures of mould in Roxanne's home (Image: Contributor)

“There was a clear issue here.”

A spokesperson for Lewisham Council said it apologises that Roxanne has not the "right level" of service. 

It added that it's investigating the case and has authorised one of its specialist contractors to contact Roxanne to arrange an appointment to visit her home.

Pictures of mould in Roxanne's home (Image: Contributor)

Already battling with black mould, Roxanne noticed her children’s room was "riddled with bed bugs".

She says the situation is so severe that Rubiie-Lee was getting bullied at school after her friends noticed the bites on her body from the bugs.

Roxanne explained: “I noticed bites on my youngest daughter, so I went into her room and started looking at her bed and the walls.

Bites on Roxanne's daughters back (Image: Contributor)

“I then started ripping a part of the wallpaper, and the bugs were just falling out.

“They haven’t been able to sleep in their room for around two months as I’ve had to throw their mattresses out.

“We’ve all just had to cram in my bedroom. It’s just horrible to live like this.”

Bites on Roxanne's child's arm (Image: Contributor)

The worried mum, who suffers from asthma, says that her children are “constantly unwell” due to the mould.

Roxanne added: “My son’s been on antibiotics his whole life because he’s constantly got a bad chest.

“It’s just not him, we’re all ill all the time because of the conditions that we're living in.

“It’s all getting too much, I’m constantly crying, and I just don’t want to deal with this anymore.

“I’ve tried everything to get rid of the mould and the bugs, but I just can’t get rid of them on my own.”

Roxanne feels embarrassed to take her children to school or even to go outside with friends due to the bugs in her home.

She says that she’s been receiving phone calls from her children’s schools due to the bites on their arms.

She said: “I can’t go anywhere because it’s embarrassing, I can’t go out because you can’t risk going out and potentially giving bugs to others.

“Nearly every other week, I’ve received calls from my children's schools because they think they’ve got rashes on them.

“I’m constantly stressed. It’s heartbreaking to see them like this.”

Roxanne has been throwing out her children’s toys and clothes, but she says she cannot continue to live like this.

She added: “I cannot afford to be buying new things. I’m a single mum with three children and it hurts you know.

“Most mornings I’m just crying and just feel bad. If it wasn’t for my children, I really don’t know what I’d do with my life.”

Roxanne says she’s been “trying her best” as a single mum but she needs Lewisham Council to “step up” and give her all the help they can.

She explained: “Honestly, I feel neglected by them.

“I’ve had people visit from Lewisham Homes but their solution is that I need to wash the mould away with spray.

“This is not a long-term solution because the mould just keeps coming back.

“I can’t clean it up anyway because I’ve got asthma so I should not be anywhere near it.

“I’m just not getting an answer back, and it’s making me feel neglected. What else am I supposed to do?.”

A spokesperson for Lewisham Council said: “We are sorry Ms Hollick hasn’t had the level of service from us she has the right to expect.

"We are investigating the case and have authorised one of our specialist contractors to contact Ms Hollick to arrange an appointment to visit her home.”