East Lothian family say out of control leak is 'affecting their entire lives'

A couple from East Lothian has said an out-of-control leak has ‘affected their whole lives’.

Demi-Lee, 39, and Scott Taylor, 41, from Haddington, first discovered the issue in one of their cupboards on January 22. They describe the scene as similar to ‘water pouring from a tap’ and said they had to sit back and wait for an emergency plumber to be sent out by East Lothian Council.

They later found the leak was worse than it first looked with their attic and insulation soaked. Water had been pouring down the wall from the overflow tank and they claim mould and damp is now ‘spreading through the house’. While the leak is now fixed, the family say they are worried the aftermath could be affecting their health.

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Scott said: “The plumber found the water was coming from an exposed pipe above and the old overflow tank hadn’t been taken away when we got a new heating system put in place.

“So I think the heavy rain we got in January must have caused it to leak and overflow. The plumber attached a valve and the leak in the cupboard stopped.”

However, the following weekend, on January 28, water was pouring into their youngest daughter’s room.

He said: “We had to put a bucket down and another plumber was sent out. We were told that the pipe needed two valves and only one had been placed earlier. If they had done it right in the first place, that wouldn’t have happened.”

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Mum of two Demi-Lee added: “The insulation is soaking and I’m just worried about it getting mouldy in our house. Black mould has already spread in the cupboard, we can see damp patches spread to the living room that was newly decorated, and it stinks in the hallway.

“My youngest, who’s nine, she has sensory issues. Her bedroom is where she goes down to calm down. But now she doesn’t want to go in because she keeps saying ‘there’s smell’.”

“I am prone to pneumonia and bronchitis and both of my daughters have asthma. I have started to get migraines and the girls are sneezing more and coughing.”

Workers were sent to the family’s council home and Demi-Lee explained that the ceiling in the cupboard had been removed and the plaster has been stripped from the wall, revealing black mould on the plasterboards.

Edinburgh Live understands that after we got in touch with East Lothian Council on Wednesday, plasterers visited Demi-Lee and Scott on Thursday morning.

“It’s just been left in a state. They want to plaster over it, but the damp needs to be treated otherwise the mould will just come through.

“It just feels like it is snowballing. It’s affecting all of our lives,” she said.

Scott added: “The wall in the cupboard is wet. You feel like you could put your thumb through it. We’re worried it could crumble. We have been told it’s safe but it doesn’t feel like it. We have been passed from pillar to post by builders and plasterers and we’re not getting any answers as to when this will be fixed.”

The couple were told to use electric heaters in the cupboard to help dry it out, but they claim that it hasn’t made much of a difference.

Demi-Lee said that while they are waiting for the work to be completed, she is worried that the damp and mould will continue to spread through the house further.

“I know we’re not the only ones going through this. It just feels like the council doesn’t care.”

A spokesperson for East Lothian Council said: “There are clear procedures in place for reporting any issues with our properties and we aim to respond to these within agreed timescales depending on whether the repair is classed as emergency or non-emergency. We work closely with our tenants during any necessary repair work and will continue to work with them until any issue is resolved.”

If your is home affected by damp and mould and live in Edinburgh or Lothians, get in touch [email protected]