Woman forced to live in ‘disgusting’ home with ‘slugs and mushrooms’

Rosie Spicer’s home has a number of leaks (Image: Rosie Spicer)A disabled woman has shared her desperation over the state of her home which she claims has been left riddled with damp.Rosie Spicer claims her flat has mushrooms and spores growing indoors and the mould has spread across her home. The 69-year-old also claims to have found slugs around the property and due to the number of leaks in her home, believes it needs to be fully rewired.According to LeedsLive, Rosie, who suffers from lung condition emphysema and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is also forced to use an air fryer to cook her meals as she claims her cooker is also “full of mould”.In pictures shared with LeedsLive, what appears to be mould can be seen growing inside the oven as well as ripped-up flooring, broken or missing tiles, slugs inside the property and wet floors.She claims that her health has worsened due to the condition of her flat, and has had chest infections as a result. Rosie also claims that she was forced to once use a baby’s potty while work was being undertaken in the bathroom. Mushrooms are growing inside Rosie Spicer’s flat (Image: Rosie Spicer)She also claims to have reported the issues to Leeds City Council and although people have been called to fix the problems, she still has the same problems.The former Catering Chef, speaking about the area of Leeds she lives in, said: ‘It’s supposed to be for retired people and they don’t do anything, it’s disgusting, it’s not in a bad area. I can’t even work, I was working before but it made me stop, I’m retired but I worked doing cooking for charity and giving back but I can’t do that now. If I walk from my room to my bathroom I’m out of breath straight away, it’s made me more ill.’The leak started from the bathroom, it spread through the floorboards and into the hallway, around to the kitchen. I was getting slugs coming in, they were coming in because of the damp, they were horrible. I went to the toilet and stood on one of them. Rosie’s bathroom which also needs desperate work (Image: Rosie Spicer)’My cooker has got mould. I can’t use it and can’t afford to get a new one. I’ve got to use an air fryer.’She continued: ‘I want to highlight how many are in this same situation. I mean if I had lots of money I would’ve done it all myself and got people to do it for me, I shouldn’t be in this situation.’ Rosie can’t use her cooker as its full of mould (Image: Rosie Spicer)Rosie, who uses a mobility scooter, is hoping by speaking out she can highlight some of the housing problems people across the city are faced with.She added: ‘I’ve got a nebuliser machine and oxygen in my bedroom. I don’t think people realise how disabled I am.’This shouldn’t be happening in this day and age, I’ve never known anything like it.’Leeds Live was told by the council that it was “working with the tenant to agree on a plan for delivering” the repairs.A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of an outstanding repair issue and have agreed a schedule of works to be completed. We are currently working with the tenant to agree a plan for delivering these.’