Mum and daughters sitting in living room when ceiling 'just burst through'

A mother and her two daughters were in their living room one evening when the ceiling came crashing down around them.

Rebecca Purnell, 54, alleges that leaky pipes caused the catastrophe - as her rented property in Birkenhead, Merseyside, has been beset with issues resulting in three visits from plumbers within just eight days.

She said: "The ceilings are black with mould. The roof is full of mould and stinks of damp. Recently the living room ceiling fell through because of the bathroom leaking."

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"One of my daughter's has a big gap in her window where it doesn't close properly. The other girl's bedroom absolutely stinks of damp."

Rebecca, who works as a barista, says she recently lodged "at least 10" complaints with property management company Leef, who dispatched plumbers to her house. However, she alleges that the workmen who came to inspect the property never returned to perform the necessary repairs, and that what has been done so far has not rectified the leaks and subsequent damp and mould, reports the Liverpool Echo.

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She added: "We are still sitting with water pouring through the ceiling. There are three girls living here. We have not had access to anywhere to shower this week. The bath is there but we cannot use the shower; and I can't use the bath because of arthritis in my back."

"I'm suffering so badly with anxieties. It's really affecting my mental health. I've just made another appointment with the doctors because I feel like it is causing ill health through