A woman from Port Glasgow has described being forced to choose between two unbearable options after human waste accumulated outside her home, leaving her feeling sick and ashamed.
Disgusting conditions at home
Belle Deans, a resident of Port Glasgow in Scotland, claims her property has become unliveable due to pipework issues at a neighbouring flat. The problems have resulted in waste, including human faeces, pooling outside her back door, causing her distress.
The situation has deteriorated to the point where Belle feels unable to sit on her couch or invite visitors. She explained: "I'm too ashamed to have anybody come and visit me here. I think all the neighbours feel the same. Even sitting on the couch, I get breathless. I was basically living in my bedroom."
Two horrific choices
The dampness in her walls, caused by an overflowing gutter during heavy rain, has created a dilemma. Belle must choose between keeping windows closed and breathing damp air, or opening them to let in the foul odour of sewage. She fears the waste could again come up through her shower and toilet, as happened in December, which took weeks to fix.
Belle said: "I can't sit in there any more because of the sewage out there." She believes the dampness originates from a box gutter serving multiple flats, which overflows in heavy rain.
Demands for action
Belle is demanding that the flat's owners, Czech Real, take action to resolve the issue permanently. However, her landlord, Chesnutt Skeoch, and RCH, which factors a neighbouring property, are locked in a dispute over responsibility.
The situation has taken a severe toll on Belle's mental and physical health, exacerbating her existing depression and anxiety. She struggles to find energy and dreads returning home when she goes out.
Neighbour's experience
Linda Kernican, who lives next to Belle, described the situation as "disgusting" and said the waste is ruining her floors. Her landlord, Czech Real, did not respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for Chesnutt Skeoch insisted that fixing the guttering causing the dampness is RCH's responsibility, stating they reported the issue on January 16. An RCH representative said: "Following notification of an issue of dampness at 26 Highholm Road, we conducted an inspection which confirmed the downpipe at number 26 is currently discharging directly into the gutter at 24 Highholm Road. During heavy rain, this results in significantly higher water volumes that exceed the capacity of the gutter at number 24. To rectify the impact on our factored property at 24, we have carried out minor remedial works."
The RCH representative added: "However, our specialist has advised that the guttering at number 26 should have its own independent downpipe fitted. As we hold no ownership or factoring responsibilities for number 26, we are unfortunately unable to undertake any works at that address, where repairs remain the responsibility of the respective owners. We will continue to maintain the block at number 24 as necessary."
