Harold Hill father slams Havering Council response to flood

A Harold Hill father has hit out at a council repair contractor after his home was flooded by a burst pipe in his boiler - but the contractor denies liability.

Chris Moise criticised repair work that was carried out by a Havering contractor to fix a condensation problem with his boiler.

Two months after the visit from contractor K&T Heating in January, a leak from a boiler pipe flooded Chris’ home in Dunstable Road.

Chris alleges that this was due to the meshing around this pre-existing pipe having been damaged during the work to install an additional pipe to prevent condensation.

Chris claims that the meshing around the metal pipe was damaged during work to install the white pipe to his boiler (Image: Chris Moise)

But K&T Heating claim that it left the boiler "in good working order" and that repair work "would not have caused any subsequent issues".

When he complained to the council about the damage, Chris claimed he was told over the phone that the contractor accepted liability for the flood.

But Havering Council and K&T Heating both say they have no record of any admission of liability.

Chris has now called on the council to repair the carpets that were damaged during the flood, claiming that they have been left soiled and brown.

He claimed that while the council had provided him with a dehumidifier and agreed to fix his skirting boards, they had "turned a blind eye" to the rest of the damage.

Chris said: "My electric bill went up because the de-humidifier sucks up a lot of electricity.

"At the time, I wasn't able to have my youngest daughter, who lives with her mum, because the carpet was so soaking wet.

"The kids and I had to live in our bedrooms for two weeks."

Flooding impacted Chris' kitchen, sitting room and passageway (Image: Chris Moise)

A K&T Heating spokesperson said: "Documented evidence taken during the resolution of the initial boiler issues shows that the matter was resolved in January 2023 to the satisfaction of all parties, and that the boiler unit was left in good working order...and in a condition that would not have caused any subsequent issues.

"No liability for subsequent issues is recorded as having been provided by K&T Heating or the client."

A Havering Council spokesperson said: "We are sorry that the resident's property was flooded and if there has been any misunderstanding and inconvenience caused during this time.

"We received a formal complaint from the resident but this was not upheld, as we believe the matter was dealt with by our housing service appropriately at the time.

"Having checked with the contractors, K&T Heating, we were unable to find any evidence of liability.

"However, in light of the concerns raised, we have provided the resident with a dehumidifier and other equipment and are currently in the process of arranging further works to help repair the damage."