Michelle Kirby has been living in a Travelodge for nearly two months after a sewage leak flooded her flat in July, destroying all her possessions and damaging her mental health.
The 47-year-old from Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, returned from a holiday to the Isle of Wight to find her home completely ruined. A communal drain had flooded her property and the flat below, but because she was away, she was not notified or evacuated like other tenants and had no chance to salvage her belongings.
Home left with unbearable smell
The waste caked her floorboards and carpet, leaving the home inhospitable with an "unbearable smell." Michelle has been told to move back in on October 1, but she struggles with anxiety and depression, and the disruption has worsened her mental health to the point where she is receiving NHS care.
Michelle said: "I have really suffered through this experience. Not only did I have all my belongings destroyed, I didn't even know it was happening at the time. I've lost so many sentimental items and my mental health has been immensely damaged."
Return to find broken lock
The flood broke out on July 17, and the fire brigade had to break into her home to gain access for the housing management's plumber. However, no one notified Michelle, so when she got home she thought her flat had been broken into.
She said: "When I saw the broken lock, I thought someone had burgled me. But when I opened the door, a wave of disgusting sewage poured out and I realised what had happened. I was in total shock to see my flat completely ruined and covered in god knows what!"
Cleaning teams struggled
Michelle was moved to a Travelodge that same day, while the leak continued for a further two days. She was told to return to the flat after the leak stopped to salvage what she could, but everything was destroyed.
Michelle said: "There was dried up waste all over all the surfaces and everything was damp. There was no saving much of anything. I've lost old pictures of my family and a small gold necklace gifted to me by my Nan - all gone now."
A cleaning team entered the property at the start of August to repair as much as possible, but because the sewage had hardened, it was very difficult to clean.
Michelle said: "Cleaning teams usually try to hoover up as much of the waste as possible when it's still damp, but because it had time to harden, that was impossible. They gutted the place of all my destroyed possessions and managed to clean it to a reasonable degree. I'm expected to go back on October 1, but they keep pushing the date back. Personally, I would much rather be moved to another property, because what am I going back to? I have no TV, no bed, not even a saucepan!"
Hope for a new property
Michelle's mental health has suffered from losing all her possessions and a sense of home, which is why she wants to move to a different property.
Michelle said: "It has really affected me, especially feeling like I have nowhere to go. I'm not sure what to do next - I just hope the housing association are able to help and find me somewhere new."
