Poison pong family made homeless (From Basildon Recorder)

Poison pong family made homeless

A FAMILY of four have been left homeless after they were evacuated from their home amid fears of methane gas.

Lydia Beale and her children Simon, 16, Nicholas, 15, and Emma, 13, have been living in a hotel after they were forced out of their house in Honor Link, Beaulieu Park, because they suspected they had methane poisoning.

Mrs Beale, 43, visited her GP complaining of headaches, nausea and breathing problems, which she claims she and her children have experienced since moving to the property last month.

She said she was diagnosed with methane poisoning, which can cause death by suffocation if it is inhaled in excess.

Landlords Swan Housing Association evacuated the family the next day.

A spokesman for the association said: “Transco, the organisation responsible for the National Grid, carried out tests, but there was no methane gas present.”

It blamed water which had been leaking from the kitchen and washing machine, causing the drains to smell.

Work is now under way to fix the leak, but the family are not expected to return until today (Monday).

Mrs Beale, who has multiple sclerosis, said she was angry as she had complained for a month about the smell coming from the drains before action was taken.

She said: “Since we have been there we have been so poorly. We have been sick, had constant headaches and ear infections.

“My mum has also been ill, as has my father and my carer after visiting us. I called Swan and they sent someone out, but it didn’t make it any better.

“They just told us to pour bleach down the drains to get rid of the smell.”

Mrs Beale claimed she had to persuade landlords to pay for a hotel after staying with friends and relatives for three nights.

She said she was also struggling to find the funds for eating out as the hotel has no cooking facilities.