A MOTHER said she is ‘angry and depressed’ after dog urine began pouring through her ceiling.
Natasha Mason lives in a council-owned flat in Akers Way with fiancé John Selwood and son Alfie, two.
She said the dogs who live in the upstairs flat have caused major problems for the family after they urinated on the floor which leaked through her ceiling and cut their electricity.
“We were lying down when all of a sudden I heard water. When I looked I could see it was pouring, not dripping, actually pouring through the ceiling. We had to get a bucket down straightaway,” she said.
“I knew it was urine from a male dog because it smelt disgusting. There are three dogs there, one of which is a puppy but I don’t know which one it was.
"The lights went out straightaway, which was horrible.”
She said urine then leaked from the ceiling on two further occasions that evening and into the next day.
“When it happened again I just couldn’t believe it. I tried to keep my cool but it was an absolute joke," she said.
"I spoke to the tenant and even got him to have a look at it, and I phoned the council who sent an electrician out.
“I’m angry and I have felt so down. Because I have depression this can lead to me feeling very low.
"No one wants urine pouring through their ceiling. All I can say is thank god Alfie wasn’t out there because he is obsessed with water.”
Natasha, 27, said the incident has affected playtime activities for Alfie, who has developmental delay and suspected autism.
“Our son is disabled and just learning to walk," she said.
"It is good for his development to be able to do this but I’ve had to restrict him to playing in the living room. He likes to walk up and down the hallway but I just can’t risk it.”
An electrician and a plumber were sent out by Swindon Borough Council to inspect both properties.
The upstairs tenant was approached but would not comment.
A council spokesman said: “We have visited Ms Mason on several occasions since this unpleasant situation was brought to our attention.
"We have spoken to her neighbour who regrets the whole matter and has promised to ensure it does not happen again. However, we will continue to monitor things.
"Ms Mason’s neighbour has cleaned his floor upstairs, but we need to ensure the ceiling is completely dry before we can carry out any electrical repairs.
“A battery-operated smoke alarm will be installed in the meantime and our repairs team will also undertake a deep clean of the area.”
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