A MUM has spoken of anguish after her 18-month-old daughter caught mouth ulcers from a broken toilet so severe that she could not eat for several days. 

For almost three weeks now, Brogan Mearns – who lives in the Southside – has been left with a toilet that “gushes” dirty water every time it is flushed.

The Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) tenant has been forced to rip up the flooring in her bathroom as the contaminated water has rotted padding underneath the vinyl material. 

Glasgow Times:

The 19-year-old, who has only lived in the property for three months, said: “It has been a nightmare ever since I moved in.

“The first red flag was a massive pigeon’s nest outside, which my dad eventually had to come to clear. My daughter is prone to catching infections so I wanted to get rid of it immediately.

“Then, we noticed the cupboards were filthy and then the toilet just packed in.”

Shocking video footage shows heavy volumes of the contaminated water spurting out from the toilet tank and pouring onto Brogan’s bathroom floor. 

After coming into contact with the dirty water, Brogan’s child – who also suffers from bronchitis – was left with “puss-filled spots and little sores” across her mouth.  

Glasgow Times:

Brogan said: “It is uncontrollable every time we flush the toilet it just gushes out from the pan and onto the floor.

“My wee girl fell really unwell with it – she obviously touched the water when I haven’t been looking and put her hands in her mouth.

“She couldn’t eat or drink for days – she had to get medicine from the chemists. 

“Her mouth was so sore, she had puss-filled spots and little sores all over her tongue and mouth. I felt completely helpless trying to make her better.”

And, on top of the toilet troubles, Brogan claims to have caught bedbugs from the property after moving in in June. 

Glasgow Times:

She said: “Small bites started appearing on our ankles and legs, so I let the housing know and they sent round pest control.

“It turned out that they had been here before to carry out work and that there is a problem with bedbugs in the area. 

“We have been left with sores all over our legs. My little boy has avoided getting them but seeing my little girl with them all over her was horrifying – it is just not on at all.

“We ended up having to bin her cot and bought her a new one.”
The conditions have left Brogan exasperated as she has called on the housing giant to permanently fix the concerning issues. 

“I’m completely deflated from it all,” she said.

Glasgow Times:

“They will come round to fix the toilet but they’re only tightening the pipes and they become loose again. The toilet needs a whole new system.

“My kids have seen me crying and it worries them when their mum is upset. 

“I fought so hard for this house and was so looking forward to making it our home but it has turned out to be a nightmare.”

Glasgow Housing Association has since confirmed that it will “very shortly” install a whole new toilet and replace the ripped-up bathroom flooring.

Glasgow Times:

A spokesman said: “The toilet has been repaired and is no longer leaking. We’ll fit a new toilet very shortly and will replace the lino too.

“The tenant hadn’t made us aware of any problems with the bedroom wall or the cleanliness of the property. A thorough deep clean was carried out before she moved in. We’ll also arrange for any repairs needing done in the bedroom.

“A specialist contractor was out recently dealing with bed bugs in her flat and we’ve not had any new reports since, but we’ll be happy to inspect the flat and also replace the cot.

“We’re continuing to do everything we can to support our tenant, including helping her settle into the area, and even trying to help find a local nursery for her daughter.”