A tenant living in a Liden block of flats developed a lung infection after mould spread around his bedroom walls.

Ronnie Galley has been living in Chroma Court for over a decade but has spent the last four years trying in vain to get a growing damp problem sorted out.

He claims that when the harmful spores and dark stains first appeared, he found it hard to breathe and visited his GP.

His doctor then told him that he had developed a lung infection, gave him antibiotics, and told him not to go into the bedroom.

Swindon Advertiser: Mould spread across the walls of a Liden flatMould spread across the walls of a Liden flat (Image: Newsquest)

For months, Ronnie has slept on a mattress in his living room, but now - despite airing the flat out and using bleach as often as possible - black mould has appeared around the windows and walls there, too.

He said: "If I had not gone to the doctor, I may not be here now, they said I would have needed a serious operation or could have died. When I heard that, my legs trembled.

"I was been begging Sovereign to come and sort it out but they just increased my rent, it's a joke.

"When someone was sent over, they had a look,  said 'I need to get something from the van', and drove off."

Swindon Advertiser: Mould has started appearing in the living room, too.Mould has started appearing in the living room, too. (Image: Newsquest)

Letters from the housing ombudsman describe the housing provider as negligent in its response to Mr Galley's concerns.

The ombudsman has ordered Sovereign to send a written apology, pay £3,947 in compensation, and make arrangements to carry out the necessary repairs.

The letter said: "There was severe maladministration by the landlord in response to the resident's reports... [and] complaint handling.

"For a period exceeding two years, the landlord delayed in repairing damp and mould in the resident's property. This caused him significant distress and inconvenience."

Swindon Advertiser: Ronnie Galley's Liden flatRonnie Galley's Liden flat (Image: Newsquest)

Sovereign's customer and place director, Luke Bingham, said: “We’ve been in frequent contact with Mr Galley and while we fully accept that our early response was below our standards, this was complicated by lockdowns.

"We’ve been, and currently still are, working to resolve this as quickly as possible.

"For a number of years, gaining access to Mr Galley’s home to complete these works has been problematic, and currently without access, we are unable to progress.

"We want to work with Mr Galley to find a resolution as quickly as possible and we are also engaging with the Housing Ombudsman as we seek to resolve this situation."