Sanctuary Housing flat in Toryglen floods 11 times in the space of a year

The Glasgow Times told in April how Angela McCabe's rented flat had seen eight water leaks to her bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.

Sanctuary Housing bosses pledged to tackle the issue.

But in the past month water has flooded into her home on three more occasions.

Angela, who lives with her six-year-old son, says she has banned the little boy from entering the kitchen as she fears the roof will come in on him.

And he is not allowed to use the bathroom alone as the electrics are, she says, waterlogged.

The healthcare worker said: "I just want to be able to safely switch my bathroom lights on, which doesn't seem a lot to ask.

"We have to use torches at night because I don't trust turning on the lights.

Angela's Toryglen flat

"I used to tell my wee boy 'Don't go in to the bathroom' and now I'm saying he's not allowed in the kitchen either in case the ceiling falls down.

"It's his home but he can't relax in it and neither can I."

We told in April how Angela's youngest son had been in hospital with a chest infection she believes was caused by damp in the property.

Her teenage son went to live with his gran as he couldn't bear the conditions in the property as they aggravated his health condition.

In around 12 months the family endured eight separate flooding incidents in three rooms in the Toryglen flat.

These ruined kitchen appliances and her bed.

Angela's Toryglen flat

Angela had done up her bathroom but the new decor was ruined by flooding, which came in through light fittings.

Raw sewage was also left seeping in to her bathroom for nearly six weeks.

Her bedroom and hallway were infested with beetles and the kitchen window shattered.

Sanctuary, which took over properties in the community from disgraced Thistle Housing Association, said the issues would be fixed.

But since our story in April, Angela has had more water ingress from the flat above.

Angela McCabe whose flat in Toryglen has been flooded from above for months in her bathroom and kitchen Picture: Gordon Terris

That property had been lying empty but a family has now moved in.

The flooding is believed to have been caused by a hole in the kitchen sink that was installed in the property above.

Angela said: "The people upstairs are mortified but there's nothing they can do about it, it's not their fault.

"It has been a nightmare trying to get anyone to help.

"You phone the helpline and there is a two-and-a-half hour wait to get through.

"Then I finally speak to someone and they say there is no record of any problems at my property.

"I had a voicemail from a manager at Sanctuary checking that everything was fixed now - even though I had reported these further issues."

As our pictures show, Angela's kitchen ceiling has suffered serious damage from water ingress with two large holes appearing.

She believes the kitchen is not safe to use - but has little other choice.

Angela's Toryglen flat

After the Glasgow Times contacted Sanctuary, the housing association pledged the kitchen ceiling would be replaced.

When the first flooding came in to her flat through the bedroom ceiling last March, Angela contacted Thistle and was told there was work being done in the flat above so went up to speak to the workmen.

They told the 45-year-old a water tank had leaked while they were emptying it.

Sanctuary confirmed to the Glasgow Times a new heating system malfunctioned in a flat above and caused water penetration in multiple properties.

Raw sewage began flooding from a pipe in the bathroom in November last year but it took until December 22 to repair it.

This meant every time someone in the building flushed the toilet, waste would flood into the bathroom.

Angela's Toryglen flat

Angela said: "I love this flat. I haven't lived here that long but I love it and I've done a lot of work to make it mine.

"This has been so stressful and I just want an end to it."

A Sanctuary Scotland spokesman said: "We’ve apologised to Ms McCabe for the issues she has had with water from the flat above damaging her home.

"Our team fixed the fault with Ms McCabe’s bathroom light on Friday and will replace her kitchen ceiling this week.”