Mum crushed by collapsed ceiling in her Brixton council flat feels she is being ‘treated like an animal’

A mum from South London was crushed by her ceiling when it collapsed on top of her in the bedroom of her council flat.

Adeola Olutade told ITV News she was knocked to the floor in her Brixton flat just 40 minutes after she noticed a leak from the bedroom ceiling. The ceiling came crashing down on her head and she was covered in debris.

Adeola, who lives in Holles House, Brixton, needed emergency treatment at A&E after she was struck by the ceiling, and the light fixture was left hanging from a cable, she claims.

READ MORE: Furious Tower Hamlets residents say block of flats is ‘Victorian slum putting lives at risk’ with ‘mould and collapsed ceilings’

Adeola was crushed by her ceiling when it collapsed on top of her in the bedroom

“I feel like I’ve been treated like an animal. This just isn’t fair,” Adeola told ITV News.

“I pay my rent, I pay my service charge, I pay my council tax.

“I don’t know anything about ceilings, you just assume they are safe.”

Luckily, Adeola’s four-year-old daughter was out with family when the ceiling collapsed otherwise she could have been harmed too.

Adeola is not the only resident in Holles House to have encountered problems.

Basil Clarke, Adeola’s neighbour, has found himself in a similar situation and claims he has been reporting leaks to Lambeth Council for seven long years.

Although the council said the problem had been resolved, Basil’s kitchen ceiling collapsed on July 25.

He told ITV News that no one is listening to him and that “no one cares”.

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Adeola and her daughter have now been moved into emergency accommodation

“It just falls on deaf ears and then it gets to the point where you give up, I just can’t be bothered no more. I just really can’t,” said Basil.

Adeola and her daughter have now been moved into emergency accommodation, and she is waiting to hear from the council about a permanent home.

A Lambeth Council spokesperson told ITV News the recent heavy rain filled the building’s high-level gutters, causing the water ingress.

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The ceiling came crashing down on the resident’s head and she was covered in debris

They said: “We are continuing to/will continue to find suitable accommodation where required, while work is carried out at the flats affected.”

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A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government also told ITV News: “The Social Housing White Paper sets out a strong package of measures that will inform, engage and empower residents. We want to ensure their voices are heard and are at the heart of the White Paper.

“We’ve announced major reforms to support tenants, including our Expert Challenge Panel which will provide scrutiny on the delivery of these measures and ensure residents’ views are represented in all discussions.”

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