Middleton Family Attributes Hospital Visits to Mold Infestation

A three-year-old boy from Middleton, Rochdale, has been hospitalized seven times due to chronic breathing issues caused by mould in their rented home, according to his family. Despite efforts to remove the mould from the walls, it keeps returning. The landlord, Riverside Group, has promised to carry out additional work after an urgent inspection. This week, the boy, named Louis, spent three days in the hospital, marking the seventh time he has been admitted due to difficulty breathing at home. Louis's father, Kyle, expressed concern over his condition and shared that previously, when Louis was one year old, he also faced hospitalization. The family's brick property has experienced problems with damp and mould since they moved in. Pictures show the extent of the mould, which has spread across skirting boards and walls. Following Louis's recent stint in the hospital, the family has been relocated to temporary accommodation. They have been displaced twice before to allow Riverside to conduct remedial work, but the mould returned on both occasions. Kyle shared that doctors have advised against returning to the property due to health concerns, but Riverside has not taken appropriate action. In response, Ian Gregg, executive director of asset services at Riverside, stated that extensive damp remedial work had been completed recently. However, upon learning about Louis's health issues and ongoing damp problems, an urgent inspection was arranged, which revealed the need for additional work. Riverside has also committed to installing a Switchee device to monitor damp levels in real time. The family is part of a group of tenants on the Langley estate in Middleton represented by the Greater Manchester Tenants Union (GMTU). Daniel Isaac of GMTU criticized Riverside for simply covering up the mould instead of addressing the underlying system issues required to bring the properties up to standard.