A FAMILY claims they are living in a house "riddled" with asbestos and mould as the mum awaits news of a cancer diagnosis.

Chris Penney, his partner Naomi Bull and five-year-old daughter Leah Penney described their five years living on St Agathas Road in Pershore as a "living hell" due to the poor quality of their home.

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Rooftop Housing Group said it has started work on improving the property.

Mr Penney claims an asbestos report on the property said the building contained the material.

He fears asbestos being present in their home could be the reason behind his partner's symptoms as she undergoes tests for Hodgkin Lymphoma.

She said: "I have not slept in five days due to the worry of my possible diagnosis.

"I have been sick, losing my hair, the weight is just dropping off me - I cannot cope."

Mr Penney added: "When I was reading the asbestos report, I was disgusted and shaking.

"We knew how ill Naomi was.

"I keep reading all about asbestos and what needs to be done."

Miss Bull also suffers from Raynaud Syndrome and believes the home's poor insulation has led to her legs turning blue on occasion.

The couple also claim since living in the house, their autistic daughter Leah has become dependent on an inhaler and has recurring chest infections due to the mould.  

Miss Bull said: "We feel like we are letting her down being in this house.

"It seems like it's all down to the environment we have been in, and it is down to Rooftops Housing - it breaks me."

Worcester News:

"The past five years in this house has been a living hell."

Mr Penny said the house is poorly insulated and mould is growing across the property.

He said at one stage, he and his partner had to sleep on the living room floor because of how much mould was in their bedroom. 

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Lisa Nicholls, Executive Director of Operations at Rooftop Housing Group, said: “We take any issue of damp and mould in our homes extremely seriously. 

"This has been reported to us and as a responsible landlord we have inspected and started work on this particular property, with more work scheduled for February.

"We are working closely with Mr Penney to keep him updated.

"There are many ways in which mould and damp can become a problem, so we have published an in-depth guide on our website to support our tenants in minimising the risks, outlining our responsibilities and to provide a simple way of reporting issues to us."