A mum-of-one from Sidcup says she is depressed and seeking medical treatment, after water seeped into her second-floor flat and "destroyed" her bathroom ceiling.

Rebecca Charles, 37, was worried her ceiling might fall in – when she saw the size of the leak in the Manor Road home she shares with her eight-year-old son.

Seven months on, the problem is still ongoing and Ms Charles said the property, which she rents through housing association A2 Dominion, no longer feels like home.

She told News Shopper: "My son's not comfortable. I'm not comfortable.

"I am stressed, my hair is falling out.

"I have been completely infested with silverfish, little wormy things.

"The building's so old, we still have the original piping.

"We have no sound proofing. You can hear everything. There is no privacy, it doesn't exist."

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Until recently, Ms Charles was left without electricity in her bathroom for two months – and she claims the housing company advised her to use a lamp, connected to an extension lead, for lighting.

She added: "I had to put a light on the bathroom floor with a leaky ceiling.

"The amount of times my son slipped over the wire, I lost count. Even myself. I forgot it was there.

"Now because I had an electrician come round, they said 'we are not going to pay for that'.

"It's the stress of it all, because it's still not finished, the job isn't done.

News Shopper:

"I think it's going to carry on for a few more months. My bathroom light's now working, that's it.

"My doctor's prescribed me antidepressants.

"Every time someone comes in they take pictures and then I don't see them again.

"They have assured me that it's safe. To be honest because the leak's so big I did think it might fall down, because it's got a false ceiling.

"It was a worry at the beginning because I hadn't had anyone come see it."

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A spokesman for A2 Dominion said: “We are committed to tackling Ms Charles' property leak and appreciate her patience while we work to resolve the issue.

"The leak originated from the flat above. We have had issues co-ordinating convenient access to both properties to allow us to investigate and undertake repairs.

"We were able to repair the leak in December last year and also fixed damaged pipework and re-plastered Ms Charles' bathroom ceiling.

"The remedial works following the fixed leak now require further attention and we intend to visit Ms Charles again on Thursday, February 11 (today)."