A GREENOCK family have been told by their landlord that their home is damp because too many people are living in it – but still won’t give them another one.

Jan and Martin McLellan live in a two-bedroom River Clyde Homes (RCH) flat in Clynder Road with their four children – a 15-year-old girl and three boys aged between one and eight.

The couple sleep in one bedroom with toddler Liam, pictured with the couple, who has asthma, while the other three children share the other bedroom.

Jan, 33, said: “We’re very keen to move to a three-bedroom flat or house because this one is too cramped for us and the dampness in every room is affecting Liam’s chest.

“River Clyde insist the house isn’t damp.

“They say that it’s condensation caused by too many people breathing in the same flat, but they still won’t give us a move.

“We’ve been in this one for six years and on the housing list for three. We’ve tried to get quite a few homes under the ‘bidding’ system, but we get refused every time and don’t get a reason. We’ve put in bids for six over the past 18 months. It’s really frustrating.”

Martin, 34, said they had submitted a doctor’s letter stating that Liam’s asthma was being caused by living in the flat, but it made no difference because they don’t get medical ‘points’ for Liam’s condition.

He said: “A social worker told me that we’re probably not getting moved because we’re just a normal family that doesn’t get into trouble. We don’t drink or take drugs, and the children go to school and behave themselves.

“It’s not fair on the children.”

Both Martin and Jan were brought up in the area and don’t want to move too far.

Martin said: “We need to stay in the area because I help my mum and dad, who live in nearby Leven Road. I’m a full-time carer for my mum, and my dad has just had a second stroke, so I need to help him, too.”

The family said RCH installed a ventilation pipe leading from the hall, through the kitchen and out the back wall to no avail.

Jan said: “It reduced dampness at first, but now it’s as bad as ever.”

Catherine Lowe, a senior project manager at River Clyde Homes, said: “We fully appreciate the situation this family is in and their reasons for wanting to stay in their current community.

“In this area, many of the cottage-style properties have been sold through right-to-buy legislation and we now manage only 179 in the Greenock central letting area. In the last year only five suitable cottages have become vacant and overall we have more than 200 people looking for similar sized homes.

“We will arrange to visit the family to discuss widening their choice of areas and the type of accommodation they can bid for.”