County Durham couple's bungalow has holes appearing in the floor

Andy Logan from Willington says the holes, which he can even fit a spoon down, started to appear after he moved into the bungalow in December last year.

The couple also say their home, which is owned by housing association Believe Housing, has been left cold and draughty because of the openings.

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Andy, 47, a handyman, told The Northern Echo: “We’ve got these holes appearing around the concrete floor and we don’t know where they’re coming from.

Andy says he fears the worst could happen because of the holes. (Image: PAUL NORRIS)

“They’re about 3 inches wide and must be quite deep because you can fit things down them.

"We're scared the house isn't safe and they it could collapse in.

“We’ve had Believe out and they just want to screed over the holes but they need to investigate them properly to find out where they’ve come from, for our peace of mind.”

Andy says he can fit a spoon down the holes. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

A structural engineers’ report conducted at the one-bed bungalow and seen by The Echo concluded that the property is in “a sound structural condition” but suggested “it would be beneficial to have a borehole excavated through the floor slab” to fully investigate the issue.

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Believe Housing said it would not be excavating any boreholes, saying that the holes “did not pose a risk to [Mr and Mrs Logan’s] safety or the structural stability of the property.”

Karen and Andy Logan at their home in Willington, County Durham (Image: PAUL NORRIS)

Mr Logan added: “It’s quite cold and draughty as we haven’t got any carpets from when they had to look at the floor.

“I’ve been spending more time over at my allotment than at home.”

Now Believe Housing has told The Northern Echo it is "satisfied" the floor doesn't need any further investigations.

Rachel Cox, Director of Property Repairs at Believe Housing, said: “We instructed a specialist structural contractor to inspect this home in October, and they determined that the floor and walls are in a sound structural condition.

“Some deterioration of the floor was found, and we have tried to schedule the appropriate floor screed repairs.

“The customer initially declined this work. We will soon contact them again and hope they can agree an appointment for us to complete the work as soon as possible.

“We are satisfied that the floor does not require further investigations by digging a borehole.”

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