A SINGLE mother has said her council flat is unfit for her and her daughter to live in after delays in getting work done led to parts of the ceiling collapsing on them.

Molly Symonds has lived at her flat in Latton Close, Penhill , for almost a year and claimed she has been beset by problems throughout, including needles in the garden, a burst pipe that caused the ceiling to fall in and a boarded up flat downstairs that used to house a drug dealer.

The 19-year-old, who claims she has asked Swindon Council to sort out the problems but they have failed to act, has now asked to be moved because she does not feel it is safe for her and her seven-month-old daughter Tiarna and has moved in with her grandmother, who also lives in Penhill, for the time being.

A spokesman for Swindon Council said they had made arrangements to fix the roof as soon as possible.

“The council have been saying they are going to do all these jobs and clean the place up but they’ve done nothing,” said Molly.

“About five months ago a water pipe burst and they said they would come to repair it but it took ages.

“Then one day I was cleaning the floors in my bedroom and the ceiling fell through.

“It was quite a big hole and you could see the pipes, as well as a big yellow patch on the ceiling.

“Also the garden is full of drug needles and downstairs has been boarded up since the last tenant got evicted for dealing drugs.

“I’ve told them it is unfit to live in, especially as my daughter has just had surgery for a cleft lip and palate and the nurse at Oxford told me she cannot be around damp because it could make her ill.

“I’ve asked to be put on the exchange list but the council told me it is fit to live in so I‘ve moved back in with my grandmother until it gets sorted.”

A Swindon Council spokesman said: “We repaired a leaking pipe in Miss Symond’s home less than a month ago and, following a routine inspection shortly afterwards, we discovered the ceiling in the property had been damaged by the leak. We have arranged for the ceiling to be repaired today.”