**Mum’s Ordeal After “Mould-Ridden” Council Flat Ceiling Collapses in Early Hours**
A young mother from Brighton was left “in shock” after the ceiling of her council flat’s kitchen, long plagued by mould and damp, suddenly gave way in the middle of the night – prompting fresh questions over the handling of housing complaints by local authorities.
Amber James, a 25-year-old resident of Hollingbury, said she was jolted awake at 4.30am by a “huge crashing sound” emanating from her kitchen. The sound was so alarming that her first instinct was to check on her four-year-old son, fearing for his safety. To her relief, she found him still sound asleep, unharmed by the incident.
Photographs taken by Amber in the immediate aftermath reveal a gaping hole in the kitchen ceiling, with wooden rafters exposed and debris strewn across the room. Chunks of ceiling had fallen onto the sink and hob, underscoring the potential danger had anyone been present in the kitchen at the time.
Recounting the events of that morning, Amber said, “I was woken by an extremely loud cracking noise, followed by an almighty crash. I raced to my son’s room, terrified of what I would find. Thankfully, he and my younger child were both safe, but I was overwhelmed by what could have happened if either of us had been in the kitchen.”
Amber’s plight highlights a recurring issue reported by many council tenants: concerns over poor housing conditions that allegedly go unaddressed until a crisis unfolds. She stated that she had warned Brighton and Hove City Council about both a leaking ceiling and extensive black mould on several occasions in the months leading up to the collapse.
Her first formal complaint, she said, was logged on 13 May, after which council contractors attended the property on 17 June. Amber claims that instead of resolving the damp at its source, workers merely cleaned and painted the affected area. By the end of June, mould had already begun to reappear. She reported the recurrence, prompting a visit from a council supervisor, who, according to Amber, judged the situation to be “safe”.
Expressing her frustration, Amber said: “It’s appalling that this was allowed to escalate so far, after I’d clearly flagged the issues multiple times. My son’s health has suffered – he’s developed respiratory issues and has been prescribed an asthma inhaler, which I believe is related to the ongoing damp.”
With her home made uninhabitable by the collapsed ceiling, Amber and her children have taken temporary refuge at her mother’s house. She explained that they are currently sharing a single double bed, awaiting further guidance from the council on possible rehousing.
“I managed to find a spot at my mum’s, as my sister is away, so for now we’re all squeezed into one bed,” Amber detailed. “But so far I’ve not received any communication from the council regarding longer-term accommodation, and I’m still waiting for proper answers.”
Local councils across the UK have faced increasing scrutiny in recent years over the state of social housing, particularly in relation to persistent damp, mould, and delayed repairs. Housing campaigners frequently urge authorities to take tenant complaints more seriously, warning that failure to act can lead to both health concerns and dangerous structural incidents such as this.
Wales Online has approached Brighton and Hove City Council for a statement, though the council has yet to respond to specific queries about Amber’s case or what steps will be taken to prevent similar incidents.
This incident is likely to further fuel the widespread debate regarding the standard of council accommodation and the responsibility of local authorities to provide safe living environments, especially for families with young children. As Amber and her family await a resolution, her experience stands as a compelling example of the human impact when housing concerns are not addressed with the urgency they deserve.