A single mother living in a flat overrun with mice says she is “disgusted” her baby has to crawl on floors where rodents have trodden. 

Mimisha Pujara said she is concerned for the safety of her daughter, 10-month-old Sariyah, and has been pleading with her housing company for two years to stamp out the problem.

The 27-year-old who is also mum to Sienna, four, claims a leaking ceiling in her flat in Leytonstone High Road is also putting her family’s health and safety at risk.

“Over the last couple of days I have noticed this rotten smell - like vomit and gone off milk,” she said.

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“I opened the cupboard this morning and found a dead mouse and a load of droppings. I don’t know how long it’s been there.

“It’s not hygienic to have my children living like this.

“Since my youngest daughter started crawling I have to watch her every minute and watch what she touches. I am disgusted.

“When there’s heavy rain, water drips down from the front room ceiling and passes near an electrical socket. It’s dangerous and if water gets inside I could be left without electricity.”

Ms Pujara said she first reported the problems to Bercleys Housing Management two years ago.

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Although pest control have put down traps and poison, the problem has been allowed to fester because the holes in the walls have not been filled in.

The mother-of-two said due to the “uncomfortable” situation she stays out of her flat for as long as possible every day, spending her time at friends’ houses or in the local park.

She added: “My daughter was sitting in her bed one night on her iPad when she saw a mouse run out from under her bed.

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“She screamed the house down and when I ran to her I saw a mouse running down the hall into the bathroom. There could be a whole family of them under her bed.”

To add to her stress, Ms Pujara claims Waltham Forest Housing informed her last October that her landlord’s licence had expired.

Although it was renewed in August, for months the uncertainty left her worrying about her family’s future.

“I was just really upset and I was uncertain about whether we would stay in the flat or have to move,” she said.

“It makes me so angry. For almost a year he had no licence and if anything had happened to me in the property what would do?”

A spokesmanf for Waltham Forest Council said: “When the landlord’s previous HMO licence expired the council’s inspection team identified possible planning control breaches at this address.

“We were not able to renew the licence until we were satisfied that there were no breaches.”

Bercleys Housing Management, Stamford Hill, has been approached for comment.