Couple complain about ‘unsafe’ home

Slough: Concern over quality, safety and suitability of property Aurora was an ‘exemplary’ police horse

A disabled man and his partner living in Slough council temporary housing have complained over the quality, safety and suitability of their living environment.

Victoria Andrews lives in Canterbury Avenue with her partner Ian Thomas, who has a range of health issues and uses a walker.

The couple were placed in temporary accommodation by Slough Borough Council in August 2022 – but the problems with it became apparent immediately. A major issue is the large front step to get in – Ian cannot get over it with his walker. There are other steps in the home causing difficulties.

Victoria said she has been trying since September 2022 to get the pair of them out of the property and ‘not having any joy’.

She says the council have a letter from Ian’s doctors saying he cannot climb steps.

“It takes three people – himself, my stepdaughter and me to get him down the front door and to a doctor’s appointment,” she said.

“It’s been months since he went out. This is making his mental health worse. I told [SBC] that.”

But she said the council she has received no help from the various teams involved.

“[SBC] keep saying it's not easy to find suitable accommodation for him that meets his medical needs.

“They say the same thing every time – that it’s only a small step to the front door. But you can see it’s not small, there's a massive concrete step to get up.”

In addition, she says the property is ‘unsafe’ and in need of significant repairs. The bedroom ceiling is ‘bowing’ and is ‘going to collapse at any time’.

“There’s a massive crack which has leaked due to the weather,” she said.

Victoria added that they have ‘no proper heating’, no hot water in the bathroom sink and ‘a lot more problems’.

She said the pair are ‘constantly waking up to damp walls in the bedroom’ and this is making both of them ill.

“Someone took a load of pictures said it’s unsafe to live in, but we’re still here,” Victoria said.

A spokesperson for Slough council said: “We understand the conditions in this property are not ideal and we apologise for any delays in getting issues resolved.

“Our housing team is liaising with the property owners to see what progress is being made on the repairs needed and will continue to do so until we are satisfied that all issues have been addressed.

“The case was referred to the temporary accommodation team in June 2023, so the couple could be moved due to issues raised about the suitability of the property for them.

“As a result, Mr Thomas was offered an alternative property, which he refused as he felt this was not suitable for his needs.

An ‘exemplary’ retired Thames Valley Police horse has passed away at the age of 13.

Grey shire horse, Aurora, spent a short time with Thames Valley Mounted Police and ‘instantly found favour’ with the team and visitors to her yard.

Thames Valley Police said Aurora served the force ‘valiantly’ throughout her career and attended all mounted deployments including football matches, demonstrations, Royal escorts, neighbourhood policing patrols, school visits and music concerts.

Aurora and her other TVP colleagues most recently escorted the Troops to the late Prince Philip’s funeral.

Whilst seeming to enjoy her work and being an ‘exemplary’ police horse, Aurora began to struggle with lameness and veterinary issues which continued to progress after her retirement to The Horse Trust in 2022.

Aurora made many friends among the retirees due to her ‘placid’ nature and could be spotted in the field ‘like a glorious marble statue’.

A spokesperson from The Horse Trust said: “Her

“With this in mind we are continuing to look for alternate accommodation, taking into account the needs of all those residents, which will include the assessment of medical evidence received, and once a suitable property is located, we will of course offer this to Mr Thomas.

“We do appreciate the difficulty this has caused for Mr Thomas; however, we will ensure we continue to offer advice and assistance to resolve any issues that have been raised.” gentle character and striking size and beauty made hers a popular stable door for our visitors to linger at, as Aurora almost always had her head out and was ready for the strokes and adoration she so deserved in her retirement.”

She later sustained a ruptured ligament and due to her other diagnoses and sheer size, standing at 18 hands high, this severely limited her prognosis and treatment options would have severely impacted her quality of life.

The spokesperson added: “While her time with us was shorter than some, she certainly made a massive impression on the team and our supporters.

“We are grateful to have been able to give her time to enjoy the fresh air, roll in plenty of mud and run freely with other horses during her time here at The Horse Trust. Rest in peace, sweet Aurora.”