A MAN with a life-threatening medical condition fears for his health, and that of his unborn child, as he and his pregnant girlfriend are forced to live in a damp council bedsit “covered from floor to ceiling” in mould.

Tony Penton, aged 20, who has a leaky heart valve, and his girlfriend, have lived in the council bedsit on Hewell Road for 18 months.

He said they were unaware of the problem when they first moved in as it had recently been painted, covering up any damp smell or visual signs of mould.

But he said very soon patches of mould started to appear, and they have been pleading for the council’s help ever since.

“First of all the council said it was caused by condensation,” said Mr Penton.

“So we stopped using anything which we think could have been caused condensation.

“When the mould just increased, the council did come in and do some work, but that obviously didn’t solve the problem and the whole place is just covered from floor to ceiling.

“We have bought many new items for our baby, who is due in February, and many of them, including our Moses basket, are covered in mould. They were nowhere near any of the mouldy walls, which suggests that the spores are also airbourne.”

Mr Penton was born with reversed arteries leading from his heart, and as a result has a leaky heart valve and knows that contracting a serious infection could prove fatal.

“We are worried about my health,” said Mr Penton. “But we are also so worried about our baby. No newborn should have to come home from hospital to live in this damp and mould.”

Redditch Council’s head of housing, Liz Tompkin, said: “A problem with moisture and mould was reported to us last week and we went out on Friday and again this morning (Monday).

“We are now going to have the mould on the bedroom wall treated, thermal solid-wall insulation added and the room redecorated, as well as having the front door to the property replaced with a UPVC door within the next two weeks.

“The moisture is condensation which is, unfortunately, natural. The need to keep on top of condensation will be all too familiar to anyone living in properties affected by it, and as well as the improvements we have agreed to make, we are advising our tenants on what they can do to manage it and prevent the growth of the mould they have experienced. The situation is manageable and so while it is not ideal, it is not a health issue in the short term. We will be monitoring it.”