A "helpless" stroke sufferer in her eighties is enduring an insect infestation so bad insects drop into her tea and porridge.
Amelia, who didn't want to give her surname, and her grandchildren Shanika, 25, and Reece, 29, have been dealing with the pests for five months and say that repeated pleas for help from their local council have been ignored.
The grandmother, 83, has lived at the Westminster City Council-run property for 50 years after moving to London from St Lucia in 1959.
Flies and bugs have found their way into flour and food in cupboards. The family suspects they first appeared from rotting kitchen furniture, My London reports.
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The issue has persisted for so long that Amelia appears resigned to it.
She said: "You just get used to it. Sometimes I see flies in my tea. They are everywhere.
"I cannot walk very well. I cannot use the kitchen. It makes me feel helpless."
Amelia previously had to contact the council as her living room began to sink and the family also faced a rat infestation earlier this year.
Now, flies and bugs have found their way into flour and food in cupboards.
A six-inch wide hole has appeared behind the sink and dark mould is visible inside.
The kitchen cabinets have begun to peel away and cupboard doors have been removed.
Now they want the council to step in and fix the issues after repeatedly calling the authority.
Shanika said: "It’s been really stressful. She doesn’t go anywhere, she’s stranded. She has a weak immune system - her home is her haven.
“We see bugs in her food. There were flies in her porridge. They will be crawling up the table and into cups. It’s just awful.”
Reece added: “I have been calling weekly. They are still asking what needs to be done when I have already reported the issue.”
Amelia suffered a stroke in November 2020 and struggles to walk from the kitchen to the living room.
Cllr David Harvey, Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Housing Services, said that the housing services repair team have been at the resident’s home this week to re-decorate and to fix or replace any broken kitchen furniture.
He added that a deep clean of the property was carried out by council services in June.
Asked by The Mirror when the work will be completed, he said: “The work will be completed as quickly as possible and we will remain in close contact with the resident to assess her needs."
Cllr Harvey added: “All of our residents deserve to live in safe and comfortable homes and I apologise to the resident that these issues haven’t been resolved quickly enough.”
