A mother is prepared to give back the keys to her flat after mould began to grow on her children’s teddy bears.

Susan Jones, of Hilary House, Eldon Avenue, Borehamwood, claims she has been living in“squalor” for five years – but housing association Affinity Sutton has done nothing.

The 26-year-old says the state of her one-bedroom flat is leaving her daughters, Kaci-Leigh, who is nineteen months old and Annie-Marie, who is just five weeks old, with serious breathing problems.

She says her bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room walls are all rotting away, and despite attempting to wash it down herself, the problem has returned.

Ms Jones said: “It’s depressing waking up every morning and remembering the state of your home.

“The smell is disgusting. You can smell it as soon as you walk through the door and you never really get used to it. It’s putrid and rancid, like mildew.

“I was heartbroken when I had to throw the girls’ toys away. Kaci-Leigh didn’t understand, and as a single mother to her, I had bought everything with my money, which made it worse.

“The girls have a constant cough and runny nose. I come in and find it hard to breathe so I dread to think what it’s doing to their lungs.”

Ms Jones said the state of her house has ruined her Christmas, as she was looking forward to waking up on December 25 and opening presents under the tree with her girls.

She added: “It makes me so angry and I feel as though I am ready to just leave this place and hand back the keys.

“I don’t feel like its Christmas at all. My daughters deserve so much more than this.”

Ms Jones says she also been forced to throw out her double mattress after thick, black mould spores began growing on the fabric.

After calling Affinity Sutton, she claims a contractor came out and told her she needed vents and that he would be back to wash her walls down, but never returned.

She also says that when she first moved in, the house was in such a state that the bathroom tiles were coming loose. But the final straw was when her bath broke last week, flooding her bathroom and meaning she is now unable to shower at home.

Despite alerting the social landlord, she claim she was told her case was not a “priority” and could not be fixed until the first week of January.

She added: “I have to clean my daughters in the sink and go and shower at my partner’s mother’s house because one of the pipes cracked.

“It’s a disgrace, how can all of this not be an emergency? I think it’s terrible.”

A statement from Affinity Sutton said: "We appreciate the issues that our resident is currently experiencing and are working to resolve them as quickly as possible.

“We can confirm that we have assessed the property and our contractor is currently arranging for the recommended works to be carried out, this work will be scheduled for the New Year and will include installing an extractor fan, undertaking a mould wash and replacing some brick work.

“Work is also scheduled for the January 9 to fix the bath however we are seeking to accommodate this work more urgently and will keep Ms Jones updated on this.”