An 18-month-old girl developed a severe respiratory illness after her family was housed in a mould-ridden Army property, her mother has said. Leah Emmett, 22, took her daughter to hospital after they moved into an “absolutely filthy” home at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire. Black mould covered walls and skirting boards, with fungal growth next to the child’s bed.
Repeated complaints and failed fixes
Despite repeated complaints to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), contractors later simply painted over the walls, which failed to stop the problem, Mrs Emmett claimed. Within days her daughter began coughing uncontrollably, developed a fever and was diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu. Medics linked the illness to the mould, she said.
Mrs Emmett told The Telegraph: “It was unbelievably stressful. I felt like I was drowning. My daughter caught RSV and the flu in one go. She was so poorly she couldn’t even stay awake to eat. We had to rush her back and forth from the hospital for 10 days… It was a nightmare.”
Impact on family and belongings
The episode occurred in January while her husband, a British Army soldier, was on exercise in Germany. She has since been moved to new accommodation in Catterick. The mould, thought to stem from water build-up, damaged about £3,500 of belongings including a laptop, toys, clothes and furniture.
Mrs Emmett was critical of the contractors involved. She said Pinnacle fielded her complaint and Amey sent a team that painted over the mould. She said: “I felt I was being fobbed off. They just did not care.” She praised Army commanders and fellow soldiers for support but said the experience left her husband questioning his service.
Broader housing crisis in Armed Forces
Her account comes as an MoD survey found more than a third of service personnel had lived with damp or mould in the past year. Some 39% said poor accommodation made them want to leave the Armed Forces. A 2024 inquiry had already warned that shoddy housing was harming health, morale, recruitment and retention.
The Government has pledged £9.2 billion over the next decade to upgrade or rebuild most military family homes, though some work has been deferred until at least 2029. An MoD spokesman said it was “unacceptable” for any service person to face housing problems and that the department was delivering the biggest upgrade in more than 50 years, with the worst homes prioritised and severe cases now handled under Awaab’s Law timelines. Pinnacle and Amey have been contacted for comment.
