Islington Council has apologised to a single mother-of-four who was has spent three months in a temporary property after her Archway home was flooded.
Pinar Eker has been living in Edmonton since November 26 – and is forced to travel more than six miles every morning to take her children to Poole Park Primary School in Finsbury Park.
Her home in Pauntley House was devastated when a pipe burst in the upstairs flat, causing water to gush into hers for some 12 hours. She was told she would be able to return home within two weeks.
“They’ve still not sorted out my flat. Last week I went to check my post and the surveyors came that day and said they were waiting to see if it’s dry enough. They are now saying it will be another three weeks. They’ve just ripped the carpet out basically.”
Pinar was away when her home flooded, and a neighbour called the fire brigade.
She continued: “It was covered in water and everything was ruined. It was gushing out like someone had a hose pipe. It was coming down from the flat above because the water tank was overflowing and it burst the pipe.
“The house I am in now is 6.3 miles from their school and they are late every day.”
To make matters worse, Pinar was not impressed by the standard of the home she was moved to.
“I can’t describe how bad it is,” she added. “On the first day I got the keys I went to see the property and there were rat droppings and the kitchen was falling apart.”
A town hall spokesperson said: “We’re sorry for the time it has taken for this work to be carried out, and for the inconvenience caused to Ms Eker and her family.
“Work has now begun and should be completed within three weeks. We will keep Ms Eker updated and see if we can offer any further help and support in the meantime.”
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