Clydebank pensioner 'not sleeping' due to fears over leak

Agnes Paterson, 96, told the Post she first noticed a leak in the kitchen of her privately-owned Park Court flat in January after Storm Isha battered much of the UK with heavy rain and strong winds.

The ceiling in Agnes's kitchen (Image: Newsquest staff)Soon after, her son Colin contacted West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) on her behalf to report the issue as the local authority owns the high-rise block.

Now, nearly two months later Agnes says that despite a temporary fix being carried out the issue has not yet been fully resolved and that she spends much of her evenings scooping water out of buckets.

Buckets collecting discoloured water in Agnes's kitchen (Image: Newsquest Staff)

The Dalmuir resident said: “I went into the kitchen after the storm to make sure everything was fine and that’s when I noticed the water.

“I’m very, very concerned about it leaking into the flat downstairs. I get quite anxious about it and I’ve got to get up during the night to scoop some of the water out of the buckets.

“I’m not sleeping at night and then end up sleeping during the day, it’s stressful. One night I went to close the curtains and felt the top of my settee and it was damp.

“That’s how I found out that the water was coming through my living room ceiling as well.”

Since spotting the leak in her kitchen in January, water has also been coming through the walls in Agnes’s bathroom and the ceiling of her living room.

It is understood that the 96-year-old dealt with a similar issue around two years ago.

One of the walls in the bathroom (Image: Colin Paterson)During Colin’s initial phone call with the council, he claims he was told they believed the issue was coming from a privately owned flat on the sixth floor.

He says he was reportedly reassured that a letter would be sent to the flat's owner advising them of the issue.

The floor in the kitchen (Image: Newsquest Staff)

Agnes and Colin are appealing for the issue to be fully resolved to prevent any more damage to the home (Image: Newsquest staff)

Water is also leaking into the living room (Image: Colin Paterson)However, weeks later on Friday, March 15 Colin claims he was informed that the issue was not coming from the sixth floor but was instead believed to be coming from a different floor.

He said: “They [WDC] just kept telling me different stories. My mum got two letters from the council asking her to get a plumber out because the water was going down into the flat below and I got in touch to say ‘Why are you asking my mum to do it? It’s her that has the water coming into her house'.

“Then they said the letter should have gone to the flat on the sixth floor instead. Then they decided that the water was coming from another privately owned flat on a different floor, not the sixth as previously claimed.

“I spoke to the people who live there and they said they’d hired a plumber but he could not repair the issue as it was coming from council-owned vents.

“So a council plumber came out and did a temporary fix but apparently, a report has to be filed before anything permanent can be done.

“So it has been council neglect all along.”

A WDC spokesperson said: “We sympathise with this resident’s situation. The source of this issue is a privately owned property and while we have carried out a temporary fix to limit damage, it is the responsibility of this private owner to rectify the problem permanently.”

Colin recently contacted Councillor Sophie Traynor over the issue.

Cllr Traynor told the Post Agnes's situation is "unacceptable" and that "she deserves better".

She said: "The dampness in the constituent's home is unacceptable and she deserves better.

"I have raised this within the management team of maintenance and repairs departments and will continue to press the council for appropriate action to be carried out."