AN EXHAUSTED mum-of-two says her kids were forced to use a bucket as a toilet for eight weeks.

Demi Bounaime says she feels as though she is "suffocating" in her Newham home, in London, after battling housing association L&Q to fix the mouldy loo.

She's also pleaded with them to get rid of a rat infestation and help with flooding issues which forces her to carry her kids through a window to get them out of the property or balance across a wooden pallet.

The Sun Online understands the flooding is an issue with the pavement outside of the property, which L&Q has reported to the Local Authority.

The rodents and fleas have got so bad she's spent thousands of pounds replacing furniture and clothing as well as £800 on pest control and cleaning products.

L&Q are awaiting a new report following the latest inspection to assess what action needs to be taken.

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Demi was heartbroken over having to use a makeshift bucket as a toilet after it was destroyed by damp in the bathroom which caused it to break off from the wall.

Demi, a single parent on a low income, says she is tired from fighting and desperate for help as the two-bedroom home's ongoing problems take a toll her mental health.

She told MyLondon: "I suffer panic attacks and depression due to PTSD, I feel like I'm suffocating in this house, that's how I feel.

"I don't know what else to do with them, I just feel like crying. It's just me on my own, fighting these scumbags but it's a business, they're a business and they don't care about us."

"I've lost all of my pride, my confidence has gone. I'm always cleaning, I've done my best here, I try to make it the best home for (my kids)." 

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L&Q dispute Demi's claim that the toilet went unfixed for eight weeks but admit timeline of almost four weeks they've provided is "too long".

Demi says she just wants a place her kids can call home.

As her eldest child has a disability, she was hopeful the family would be moved into a three-bedroom so she can have her own space but her request was denied.

She said: "My kids are entitled to live in a home in 2022 that meets English rental laws, and that they're not worried if mummy has to check the bed if there's rats in there, or if mummy has to use spray all the time – and having a space for my daughters to play outside in."

In a statement, an L&Q spokesperson told The Sun Online every resident deserves a home they feel safe and happy in.

They said: "We're sorry that this wasn’t the case for Ms Bounaime.

"We’ve been working with Ms Bounaime since last year to ensure she has a home which is suitable for her and her family’s needs and have been in contact with her again this week, to update her. We’ve also committed to calling her fortnightly with an update on this process.

"We have visited Ms Bounaime’s home on a number of occasions over the last few years to complete various repairs.

"Pest control have previously visited her home and carried out treatments, and we've asked them to visit her home again.

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"An issue with the toilet cistern was reported on November 1, 2021, and we attended as an emergency, however we were advised an asbestos survey would be needed before the repair could be completed.

"The cistern was replaced on November 26, 2021. This took too long and we’re sorry for the inconvenience this caused."

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