Basildon Dawn Peters: Apology after gran left ‘using bucket as toilet’

Dawn Peters, 69, can no longer use her shower or toilet because of the sewage issues underneath her bungalow on Pattocks in Basildon.

Ms Peters has faced “three years of hell”, with Basildon Council now apologising.

The grandma moved to Basildon from Brighton in 2018 for a “fresh start”, but her council-owned bungalow has been plagued with problems.

She said: “There’s been asbestos, which took them ages to fix. There’s been leaks in the loft, which has left brown stains on the ceiling and the walls.

“They then fitted anti-slip tiles on the kitchen floor, which still haven’t been sorted out.

“It’s been a complete mess, and nobody is still helping me.

“I’m having to wear rubber shoes in the shower so my feet don’t touch the floor and go to the toilet in a bucket.”

Council bosses have issued an apology to Dawn, who has now turned to Basildon Mind to help with her mental health.

She added: “The stress of it all has been overwhelming.

“Luckily I’ve had my three parrots to get me through, but even they aren’t singing as much as they usually do.

“They’ve really helped me through the last year.

“The pipes underground are all broken, every time I use the sink or flush the toilet it just makes a horrendous noise.

“The contractors have failed to turn up to three appointments without telling me.

“I’ve had to get my solicitor involved now.”

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Since moving to the bungalow, Dawn’s rabbits both died due to loss of blood, allegedly caused by fleas.

She claims the two animals had issues as soon as she moved in.

Basildon Council removed the insects from the bungalow garden.

A spokesman from the council, said: “We are sorry to hear about the issues Ms Peters is having at her property.

“We have had some problems accessing the property previously, but we have some new appointments planned. We have also arranged for a CCTV drain survey at the property, so we hope to resolve all of this.”