A TROON man says that he has developed a chest infection as a result of serious mould problems at his council flat.

Andrew Carswell first complained to South Ayrshire Council about the issue eight weeks ago after noticing black mould growing on multiple walls in his top floor flat.

The mould spread from the walls at his property in Merrick Avenue and has damaged his furniture, forcing him to stop storing his clothes in the spore-covered wardrobe and buy new furniture.

As a result of the damage, he had to purchase a new clothes horse to replace the wardrobe and store his and his partner’s clothing on until the mould problem is solved.

Fearing the consequences of the mould, Andrew took himself along to his GP when he noticed he was struggling with his breathing.

His doctor told him that the damp in his flat was likely to blame for his breathing problems and that he had developed a chest infection.

Andrew, who suffers from a mild form of asthma, said: “I noticed I was struggling with my breathing and I had a nasty cough so I took myself down to the doctors. The doctor told me to get some inhalers.

“I’ve got mild asthma but I don’t usually use inhalers, but it’s flared up in the last few months.”

Andrew, who lives in the property with his partner, has only lived in the flat since May last year. He finally received a response from the council last week, but due to his availability, they will not be able to fix it until late March.

After waiting on the council to fix the problem for over six weeks, a frustrated Andrew raised the issue on Facebook where he received comments from others suffering with similar problems.

In fact the issue seems to be widespread right now, with a similar incident covered in our paper last week.

In a letter to Andrew, the council advised him to heat and ventilate the property adequately, which he claims he has been doing, but to no avail as the mould persists.

South Ayrshire Council said: “We will always work with our tenants to ensure issues are dealt with as quickly as possible.

“There has been a delay in works commencing due to the tenant’s commitments. These works are now scheduled to start in mid-March.”

Carswell is busy at work throughout the week and says he can’t afford to take a day off and so he has to make do with the property as it is until Wednesday, March 25.