A pregnant mum says she and her children are fearing for their health after living in a house "plagued by damp and mould". 

Catherine, who did not want her full name published, lives in a two-bed property in Crook, with her seven-year-old son and ten-month-old daughter. 

Despite only having moved in 10 months ago, Catherine has said that issues with the property have come "thick and fast". 

She said that she believed eroded mortar outside her home, which is owned by Believe Housing Association, had led to dampness and mould which caused persistent chest infections. 

Read more: Durham couple slam Believe housing association for damp and mould

But Believe has claimed it responded in a timely manner to concerns and worked to remove mould, repair guttering and fix pointing within "appropriate timescales". 

The Northern Echo: Katherine has struggled with damp and mould in her home.Katherine has struggled with damp and mould in her home. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

In early January, Catherine, who is eight months pregnant, went into a cupboard in her bedroom to retrieve clothes she had purchased for her unborn child, only to find the cupboard's contents were "wet to the touch". 

Catherine, 26, said: "Everything, including baby clothes, a Moses basket, and a pumping machine, was ruined. It all had to be thrown out, and now I have to replace £1000 worth of items four weeks before my due date.

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"It has been so stressful fighting to get the house fixed with two kids and another on the way soon. I have been on the phone every day since January."

In addition to the stress impacting her unborn child, Catherine is worried that her persistent ill health could be impacting her baby. 

The Northern Echo: Clothes stored in cupboards have gone mouldy. Clothes stored in cupboards have gone mouldy. (Image: The Northern Echo)

She said: "I have had blood tests at pregnancy appointments which have shown a high white blood cell count. I think it is all from toxins in the mould. 

"My 10-month-daughter has had a chesty cough all through the night. Neither of us is getting any sleep."

Catherine is now sleeping on the sofa in the living room, to avoid spending time in her damp bedroom. 

"I have lost over a couple of grand on these issues now, but obviously it is impacting your health too, you can't put a price on that. 

"It takes years for some of these issues to develop - like the decayed pointing. I don't understand why they haven't spotted it in inspections before. I am sure there are more issues I haven't been able to spot because I am not a specialist. 

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The Northern Echo: Furniture has started to go mouldy. Furniture has started to go mouldy. (Image: The Northern Echo)

"I have tried to complain, but they won't uphold it: they are saying that they completed everything on time and all repairs are complete, but they aren't."

Catherine wants all work at the property to be completed before her baby is due in four weeks, and wants her house reinspected by an independent inspector to ensure safety. 

Nik Turner, executive director of Communities and Customer Services at Believe Housing, said: "We take all cases of damp and mould seriously and have robust processes in place to address them. 

"In this case, we responded in a timely manner after the customer contacted us with concerns about her home’s condition. 

"We surveyed the property, removed mould, and repaired some loose guttering and eroded pointing which we identified. This work was completed within appropriate timescales. 

"As condensation was also a potential issue, we offered to install a positive input ventilation (PIV) unit to increase clean airflow throughout the home. PIV units are economical to run, costing an estimated £10 a year based on current energy prices. 

"An appointment to fit the PIV unit was arranged for 28 February but unfortunately the customer contacted us on the day and asked us to reschedule. That work was immediately rebooked for 7 March, when we hope to complete the installation. 

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"We have also offered to carry out some unrelated ceiling repairs, but the customer declined that appointment.   

"In relation to her complaint, the initial grievance was not upheld because we had completed the agreed works within the timescales set out in our repairs and maintenance policy.  

"We are now reviewing a request to escalate this matter."