A FRUSTRATED tenant claims the mould and stale stench of his damp-ridden council house is so bad that his granddaughter refuses to visit him.

Peter Kent says rain gets in through the windows and dust and fibreglass gets blown all over his two-bedroom home in Wordsworth Avenue, Leigh.

The 60-year-old maintenance engineer first noticed the problems in September when he was off work with a hernia operation.

The house has been treated for damp by Wigan Council but Peter says that only provided a temporary solution.

“The worse thing about my housing situation is that my only granddaughter will not visit me because she does not like coming around because of the smell," said Peter, who has lived at the property for 17 years.

"It breaks my heart that she does not want to see me here.

“The house was treated by the council for damp last year but it is still really bad.

"There is damp on the walls and ceilings so I am waiting for another course to be done.

“There is also a gap between my window and the window board which allows dust and fibre glass to be blown in and get all over the house and on my clothes.

“I live on my own and have asked to be moved to a bungalow, which would be much better for me, but have been told by the council that I am not allowed.”

Paul Barton, assistant director for environment services at the council, said: “We are aware of Mr Kent’s situation and are willing to eradicate the issue of dampness in the property as soon as we are able to locate him to alternative accommodation.

“We have advised Mr Kent that in order to carry out the work we need access to the ground floor and that it is necessary for him to move to another property temporarily.

“It is not always possible to find a property in a tenant’s preferred area of choice, which has caused a delay in this instance.”