Harold Hill family in hotel for weeks after 'sewage leak'

Alexandra Underwood, who cares for four children including Ted, three, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), claimed her Harold Hill family has been "passed pillar to post" by Havering Council.

Emails seen by The Recorder show that Alex was moved out of her council property in Hilldene Avenue to a hotel in Romford on October 29 to facilitate remedial works.

But Alex said yesterday (November 23) that she still cannot return home and being away for so long has taken a toll on her children - Lottie, one, Ted, three, Arthur, six, and Archie, nine.

"It's awful, stressful and emotional," she said. "For us to go from our home to a hotel room where we have to share a bed, in their eyes it was fun at first, but this is their life now.

"It's not fun anymore," Alex added.

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Alex said she first reported the problem on October 27, and a council officer confirmed he had received her complaint on November 7, an email shows.

Sewage seeped into the carpet at her home after leaking from the floor above, Alex claimed, rendering her flat in an unliveable state.

The Harold Hill mother added that the subsequent hotel move had been especially tough for youngest boy Ted who has ADHD.

"My little boy has ADHD so living in a hotel is not doing him any good," she said. "Specifically for Teddy, it is putting him out - he's a handful as it is in the nicest possible way, but he's taken this hard."

Alex said she was grateful for the hotel accommodation and a bed, but said extra costs has crippled her finances.

"I'm absolutely broke," she said. "I've got no money because I'm spending extra on food, on travel, getting my kids to school and feeding them takeaways and buying food that caters to where I'm living."

She added that the hotel had no cooking facilities, which made it very difficult to budget.

On Monday (November 20), Alex said she had to move in with her mother after being told the hotel was fully booked.

She was offered the chance to stay at another hotel in the town centre from November 21 to 24, an email shows, but Alex said she had no means of transporting her belongings.

"I’ve got bags upon bags, washing baskets, toys, and kids stuff," she said. "I was physically not in the position to move all my stuff.”

Yesterday Alex said there still has been no update on the condition of her flat, and claimed the council is not giving her any answers.

Cllr Paul McGeary (Image: Newsquest)

"I’ve been calling and getting absolutely nothing in return," she said. “It's just ridiculous honestly."

Paul McGeary, cabinet member for housing, today said: "We understand this must be a distressing time for the tenant and that a hotel is not ideal with children.

"Havering is, however, facing a severe shortage of both housing and temporary accommodation.

"We do not have a ready supply of temporary homes available to families, meaning hotels are often the only option in these types of situations.

“We are working to resolve matters with a view to having our tenant back in her flat as soon as possible,” Cllr McGeary added.