A former tenant at a Buckinghamshire Hotel used by the council as temporary accommodation said she felt "invisible" when trying to raise concerns about "dangerous" mould and damp in the building.

Sarah Clarke, 36, moved into the Buckingham Hotel on West Wycombe Road in High Wycombe back in the summer as part of the local council's temporary accommodation for the homeless scheme.

She already had asthma and, early in her stay, alerted staff to the risk posed to her health by a growing mould problem in her room.

Following a period of inaction, and months of worsening physical and mental health, including the development of a lung infection, Sarah was urged by her family to leave the facility and stay with them in Blackpool while looking for a new place to live.

The 36-year-old, who moved out at the beginning of December, said "no one had listened" to the concerns she raised about the hotel, adding that she even had to buy a portable heater after her pleas to fix the broken radiator in her room fell on deaf ears.

Bucks Free Press:

"Buckingham Hotel is dangerous - it looked like it had been mouldy and damp for years. First I had an ear infection, then a lung infection but staff just painted over the mould and it continued to get worse.

"I have mental health issues too and I am struggling with so much more pain (now) than ever before. I wasn't listened to by the council or social workers - it was like they had no time for me, which I found really sad."

Bucks Free Press:

It comes after three tenants at the hotel came forward anonymously in September to expose the "disgusting" quality of life of vulnerable individuals at the facility.

One person said they were experiencing an ongoing flea infestation that left them with bites "from head to toe" while another described the Buckingham Hotel as "slum housing" which operated on a "system of fear".

Bucks Free Press:

Mark Winn, Buckinghamshire Council's Cabinet Member for Housing and Regulatory Services said: "Buckingham Hotel in High Wycombe is not owned by the council but is one of our temporary accommodation providers.

"If a tenant is experiencing any issues with their placement, they should contact their housing officer, who will be able to support them."