A single mum "felt homeless again" after being forced out of her flat and into the cold with her daughter thanks to a burst pipe which has left them with "nothing".
Cheryl Shields and Layla, seven, had to flee their Edinburgh home when it flooded, leaving them no choice but to huddle together on a cold communal staircase.
The 29-year-old cleaner had been without a home for 18 months before moving into her new place in August - but relief turned to horror when a burst sewage pipe on Friday caused extensive damage to the pair's dream home.
Cheryl said "there was no way" they could stay in their home, despite being told by Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association not to leave the flat and instead wait for an emergency workman, reports the Daily Record.
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And as a result, they endured two nights sleeping in the "freezing" stairwell, fearing the flat was a major hazard risk.
"The place was soaking and there was a horrible smell of dampness," said Cheryl.
"I didn't want to be in there with my daughter. There was water going into the electricity cupboard and I was worried something bad was going to happen.
"We ended up having to sleep out in the stairs because my landlord told me I had to be there in case a workman showed up. He never came until the Sunday. We were both freezing."
Following a tough couple of years in which Cheryl had to come from rock bottom to rebuild her life, she was faced was something of a Déjà vu situation.
"i was homeless for a year and half," she explained. "I feel like I've got absolutely no luck. I've worked really hard to get us where we are the now and it's all ruined.
"The floors which I paid a fortune for will need completely ripped up. My daughter's toys are ruined. My couch and our beds are soaking. The place is a complete mess. I'm devastated.
"I feel like I'm basically back to square one again. We've got nothing. It's so unfair."
The housing association has since put Cheryl and Layla up in a nearby hotel.
"I have no idea what's happening," she added. "Castle Rock are my landlord but Barratt Homes are the builder and apparently they are legally obliged to fix any problems until Summer 2020.
"I feel like I'm being past from pillar to post. Neither of them seem to be taking any responsibility.
"The pipe causing the problems has been fixed so there is no more water coming in but the damage is already done.
"What I want to know is will I be compensated for the damage.
"I can't possibly afford to buy it all again. Times are hard enough.
"I've got a severe eating disorder to which I attend the Royal Edinburgh Hospital weekly for help with.
"This situation has caused me more stress and is effectively ruining my progression."
A spokesperson for Barratt Homes East Scotland said: “Residents at the Barratt @ Heritage Grange development contacted our out of hours service to report leakages with their properties.
"We responded promptly with a contractor who identified the issue to be a blocked drain which was then unblocked as quickly as possible. It is now for the Housing Association to resolve any remaining issues with its residents directly.”
A spokesperson for Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association said: “Mrs Shields has been given hotel accommodation and expenses while we carry out a thorough investigation into the cause of the flooding.
"We have instructed a full survey of the drainage system. We fully sympathise with Mrs Shields’s situation and are working to resolve it as quickly as we can.”
