Eddlewood mum's fury at South Lanarkshire Council over flood hell

Nov 19 2009 by Gary Fanning, Hamilton Advertiser

A MUM-of-two this week vowed to sue the council after flood damage to her Hamilton home.

Oticon worker Isabell McCrum has hit the roof as her flat in Eddlewood’s Tinto View has been flooded for the past month.

She moved into the flat 10 weeks ago with her sons Patrick (17) and 14-year-old Paul, a pupil at Holy Cross.

The 47-year-old noticed a crack in the ceiling in the living room and was told just to paint over it.

But now water is leaking into her living room through two large holes in the ceiling.

Patrick’s bedroom has also been flooded.

Isabell fumed: “I am fed up with the state of my flat and the council doing nothing about it.

“I have had to take time off my work for the council to fix it and they never did.

“All my towels have been ruined because I have had to use them to soak up the water.

“I think I will claim the council for lost earnings and also ruining my belongings.

“I am worried that the water is going to go into the electricity.

“The water is coming into my boy’s bedroom and he has asthma.

“The water is dropping from ceiling in the living room.

“There needs to be a new ceiling in the living room as it has caved in because of the water.

“The water is seeping into the floor in my boy’s bedroom.

“I just want it all sorted out in time for Christmas.

“I want the council to come out and fix the repairs and fix the roof or rehouse me until the repairs are done.”

A South Lanarkshire Council spokeswoman said: “Ms McCrum has been told scaffolding will be erected on November 10 and, weather permitting, work to resolve her problem is scheduled to be completed by November 13.”

However, earlier this week Isabell added: “The council still haven’t come out to fix the problem.

“They put scaffolding up and have left it.

“Now children are climbing on the scaffolding and I am getting complaints from parents about the scaffolding.

“My boys say the flat is a nightmare, but what can I do about it.

“I was happy to get the flat because the Home Happening had been finished and there was a nice new kitchen.

“But if I had known about what problems I was going to have in the flat I would never have moved in.

“What is stopping them from carrying out the repairs?

“I just want my flat fixed or to be rehoused.”