A MUM has revealed her hideous town hall, which she claims is so rotten that mice run past her sleeping baby.
Brooke Salkeld, van Newcastle upon Tynesaid the sight of the creatures near her baby daughter Ayla was the final straw after suffering from a rodent infestation since 2021.
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Brooke, 29, claimed she had been trying for more than two years to get her landlord, Your Homes Newcastle, to listen to her complaints.
The single mother of three also claimed that her one new kitchen when she moved in in 2020, which has yet to happen.
She said Chronicle live: “I accepted the house with the understanding that the kitchen and bathroom would be replaced, as the kitchen in particular is rotten.
“The hinges are rusting because it’s so old and I’m sure the mice are getting in under the kitchen cupboards. I know there will be a backlog due to Covid but I think I’ve been very patient.
“The house was empty for 10 months before we moved in and we were told by one of the pest controllers that the mice had used my house as a breeding ground and as soon as I moved in and turned on the heating they came out to play.”
Brooke reportedly told her landlord about the problem and received two visits from pest controlneither of which solved the problem.
She explained: “the problem is still there and getting worse as they are also coming in through holes in the sitting room, next to the house’s main water tap, but I’ve been told the holes can’t be filled in until the problem is completely eliminated, so it’s a vicious circle.
“Every day I clean up the mess and the next day it’s there again.
“When pest control came out in 2021, they couldn’t get the plinth out of the kitchen because the kitchen is in such a state, so they just dumped the poison down an opening.
“I still can’t get the kickboard off, so I don’t know if I did dead mice – or worse – under my kitchen cabinets.”
According to Brooke, she was told that the gaps could not be filled until the new kitchen was installed.
She added: “It affects my mental health and Blake’s sleep is worse than it already was.
‘This is not how a young family should live and when I saw a mouse run past Ayla’s bouncy chair, that was it for me. I’ve been doing this for two years now and my patience has run out.’
Your Homes Newcastle has said the issue has been resolved by pest control after it was reported.
Jen Vinton, group director of housing services for the company, said: “A manager from the Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) repairs team rushed to the property following a report of mice at the property.
“This visit was followed up by Newcastle City Council’s pest control team and a senior technical investigator from YHN, who also inspected the area to determine the cause. We were able to confirm that there was no sign of rats.
“Newcastle City Council’s pest control team have since returned to the property and carried out immediate remedial work to rectify the problem with the mice. All of our homes are getting replacement kitchens and bathrooms as part of our planned investment programme.
“Our replacement dates are more generous than the government’s guidelines for decent housing. The kitchen in Ms Salkeld’s home will be replaced in 2025 and the bathroom in 2030 as part of this programme.
“However, we will arrange an inspection of both the kitchen and bathroom to understand the current condition and whether any interim work is required or if replacements are needed ahead of the scheduled dates.”
Ms Vinton added that the company “appreciates the difficulties with the mouse issue” and that it “might have been stressful” for Brooke.
However, she insisted they responded to the matter “as soon as possible”.
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