Children’s toys and possessions were damaged as a mother pleaded with her housing firm to clean up the mould in her garage.

Zoe Miller contacted Barnet Homes and received numerous promises that the leak in her garage on Martynside in Grahame Park would be fixed.

But after more than four job references being logged, she cancelled the direct debit in January, leading the association to change the locks on March 14.

“All they ever did was take my name and contact details and no-one ever got back to me,” Ms Miller said.

“I cancelled my direct debit because there have been a number of failed attempts to fix it, but now Barnet Homes are trying to take the garage back and change the locks with all of my belongings in there.”

Her children’s bicycles, scooters and pram were left covered in mould, before she was told the garage would be locked with her possessions inside.

Barnet Homes said in a statement: “We have attended a number of different repairs on this particular garage, but due to non-payment of rent, this garage was recently subject to an eviction.

“It is made clear in the tenancy agreement for garages that they should not be used as a dry storage area for tenants’ possessions and this is done entirely at their own risk.”

Ms Miller said that she was offered compensation from an employee at Barnet Homes in January when she owed only £147, but her arrears reached £250 by the time of the eviction.