Young families living in a housing block say that they are being plagued by cockroaches, mice, rats, other bugs and constant leaks.

Two mums have criticised the housing association CBHA which is now owned by the Peabody for consistently failing to fix problems which are causing stress and upset to them and their young children.

Jazmin Hicks-Leahy, 23, said that her flat in St Andrews Road, Walthamstow is so bad that her family’s health is suffering.

“My son has been in our room for four months because there are two holes in his ceiling. This is now the third time that it has happened,” She said.

“He got a respiratory infection last time.

“I keep phoning the housing association, they have sent out a different surveyor every time. It’s like they don’t care because they don’t have to live here.

“My anxiety is just through the roof.”

Cracks in the wall and damp however were the least of Miss Hicks-Leahy’s worries last week as she opened a cupboard to find cockroaches inside.

She said: “I phoned the council straight away and they said that I would have to wait until Wednesday. It’s just disgusting.”

Natasha Craig, 30, lives below with her partner and four children.

She said: “I have had so many problems. When we first moved in we got bed bugs and my family had to sleep on airbeds. All my stuff was brand new.

“We live on the ground floor and there have been mice and rats.

“I was sitting on the toilet last week and I saw this bug.

“Later I went into my kitchen and there was another one. When the guy came out he said that one of my neighbours had cockroaches and they were escaping into my house.

“I have a disabled son and we have his food delivered which we have to store. I can’t have bugs around his food.”

CBHA has been asked to comment.