We know that there is a housing crisis in Southwark but there can be no excuse for placing a young family like Meyrem Walker, Corvel Thomas and their baby CJ, in such squalid conditions.
On their first night in the flat, Meyrem and Corvel discovered insects crawling over their baby’s head – no parent should have to experience this, let alone in a council property.
The council’s promise to send an exterminator is welcome – but too little too late. The family should never have been placed in a home that was so obviously not ready for occupants. Never mind the marauding pests, there are holes in the plaster and stains on the wall. That the council thinks such a place is a suitable home for a young family points to some serious flaws in the borough’s housing system.