A HOOK mother who says she has been left to freeze has criticised a housing association for failing to close a hole in her ceiling.  

Sonia Williams, who has a number of health problems and is a resident of Rectory Road, is becoming increasingly frustrated and upset about the hole in her ceiling that has become so bad she is filling 36-litre buckets in just a few hours whenever it rains.

Her cousin Fiona Wall told the Gazette that the hole in the living room is "6ft by 6ft" and has left Sonia in a room where it "looks like it is raining" when bad weather hits. 

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She said: "She is freezing, wheezing and coughing like a dog. It has an emotional effect on her and an effect in every way possible."

Fiona said the problem has been going on for "over a year" with Vivid, which is responsible for the property, being contacted several times to resolve the problem. Despite this Fiona said the hole is still there and is getting worse with the recent rainfall.

She added: "It started with a large leak last year in the ceiling in the front room."

Fiona said Vivid will not speak to her because she doesn't live at the property and Sonia has difficulty talking on the phone and catching her breath.

Sonia said she is now "beyond angry" and already "struggles daily" with her disabilities.

She added: "I am unable to carry a saucepan of water yet I have to empty the 36-litre containers of rainwater.

"I have lived here for many years and have great support in place so I don't want to move. Apart from that, it is my home."

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Carolyn Munns, head of property services at Vivid said: "We have been made aware that an existing issue has now escalated due to the extreme rainfall we have experienced in the past few weeks. We are working to identify the extent of the problem and how this can be resolved as quickly as possible. 

"Attempts are being made to continue to engage with the customer so we assess fully and we would urge them to call us as soon as they can."