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Devastated parents claim mould-ridden flat contributed to baby's death, as government slammed for Awaab’s Law delays
28 May 2025, 07:57 | Updated: 28 May 2025, 10:14
Devastated parents claim mould-ridden flat contributed to baby's death, as government slammed for Awaab’s Law delays
The grieving parents of a baby boy who died aged 15 weeks after living in a mould-ridden home have told LBC they believe damp and mould in their flat contributed to his death.
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Akram Mohammed developed respiratory problems during his short life spent with his parents and two siblings in a 1-bedroom flat managed by Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) housing association in north-west London, which an independent survey deemed ‘unfit for human habitation’.
An inquest will take place in August to determine the circumstances surrounding his death.
NHG say they are 'working with the relevant authorities' as investigations take place ahead of the hearing.
As the family awaits the coroner’s conclusions, Akram’s father Abdushafi, 34, has told LBC they feel let down by NHG, saying his repeated requests for mould repairs were not sufficiently acted upon.
Abdushafi, along with legal and charity advocates and his older children’s headteacher, had been flagging concerns about the flat since 2023.
“The mould helped to kill my son,” claims Abdushafi. “When it was raining the water was coming inside. [The air] smelled damp.”
The family’s solicitor, Mark McGhee, has told LBC the family “have a right to answers to all of their questions and the truth. They trust that the Coroner will fearlessly investigate all of the contributing factors."
The day before Akram died, his mother Aiat, 26, took him to the GP with heavy breathing but they were sent home, told it was “non-serious” and he would “probably” grow out of it.
Just hours later, his parents rushed him to hospital when his breathing worsened and he began frothing at the mouth, but doctors could not save him.
In the hospital in the hours after his death his devastated parents, reeling with shock, were separated and questioned by police.
Aiat was interviewed in the same room where her son’s body was being held.
Pathology results, shared with LBC by the family’s solicitor, found he died of acute pneumonia due to late-onset Group B Strep infection.
The condition is not caused by mould, but experts say poor living conditions can “on rare occasions” contribute to lowering a baby’s immune system, raising their susceptibility to acute illness.
Ahead of the inquest, Akram’s family is urging the government to act “urgently” to fully implement Awaab’s Law, which will force social rent landlords to address issues within a specific timeframe - named after Awaab Ishaak, a Sudanese two-year-old boy who died in Rochdale in 2020 after developing breathing problems living in a mouldy flat.
For the Mohammeds, who are originally from Sudan, home was a small property on the third floor of Jacaranda House, a block of flats in Hampstead. Abdushafi, a mechanic, slept in the living room with their son Adam, 6, and daughter Asmahan, 4. Aiat slept in the bedroom with Akram.
Abdushafi had been living there since 2013, his family growing in size over time.
When LBC visited the property last month, there was still a smell of damp hanging heavily in the air, with black mould coating the walls and the family’s possessions.
When Akram died, Abdushafi with the support of The Pilion Trust, a charity helping disadvantaged people, had been raising the alarm to NHG about mould for ten months.
NHG acknowledged there had been a delay in responding to the concerns, and told LBC a “thorough mould wash” was completed in September 2024.
“They came to clean the mould and then it built up back again,” says Aiat. “I was really worried.”
In November, Abdushafi submitted a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman, claiming “the flat is dangerous and is hurting my family,” and saying he had written “more than 20 letters, reported it over 12 times.”
A month later, solicitors acting on behalf of the family launched a disrepair claim against NHG, and an independent survey of the flat found the housing association failing in its duty to ensure the property is “fit for human habitation”.
It found mould in every room and “defective” extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom “causing excessive airborne moisture”.
The survey advised £3055 of repairs to be carried out, including washing the mould, fixing the extractor fans, and for the landlord to “assess overcrowding inside the property.”
A contractor instructed by NHG visited the property to quote for the repairs on 13 February. The repairs hadn’t taken place by the time Akram died.
Akram was born on Friday 8 November 2024.
“He was a playful, good baby. He was very playful,” his mum Aiat tells LBC. “When he was a month old he started to laugh with me.”
The day before he died, 20 February, Aiat took him to the GP after a worsening of breathing problems which started eight weeks earlier.
The Mohammeds say they were reassured by health professionals during that time, but had remained concerned.
The doctor’s examination found “audible upper respiratory noises”, but they were sent home with the advice that it was “non-serious” and that he would “probably … grow out of this.”
At 4am the following day Aiat says Akram’s breathing, which had been loud, had become inaudible, and he was unresponsive.
Abdushafi rushed his baby to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead. He says Akram’s eyes were rolling back, and there was froth coming from his mouth.
The parents stood by as a team of “seven or eight doctors” worked on their son. They say he was given multiple doses of adrenaline and staff performed CPR, but he died despite their best efforts.
Aiat says she went into shock: “I didn't believe them. I didn't understand, what is dead? Who is dead?” She says she implored doctors to try to resuscitate him again, convinced he would survive.
“I just wanted to run away from this world,” she says. “I wanted to scream and shout.”
The family’s lawyer says “in the immediate aftermath” of Akram’s death the couple were separated and interviewed by the Metropolitan Police, with Aiat questioned in the same room where her son’s body was being held.
An officer searched their flat that evening.
“The family felt and still feels they were being treated like criminals,” solicitor Mark McGhee tells LBC.
The Metropolitan Police say Aiat and Abdushafi are not suspects, telling LBC: “Our thoughts remain with Akram’s family and we understand they found this process distressing.
“However, in the tragic event of an infant death and if police are alerted by medical staff, we must carry out enquiries to understand the circumstances around the incident. Our specialist officers aim to do this as sensitively as possible. In this case, after speaking to Akram’s parents and visiting their family home we quickly established no further action would be taken against the parents. Met Police will be supporting the upcoming inquest.”
NHG say they immediately moved the family to a hotel after being made aware of Akram’s death, and took part in a Joint Agency Response meeting with “social services, hospital staff, police, the family GP, and the local school.”
The results of a pathology report, shared with LBC by the family’s solicitor, lists Akram’s death as caused by acute pneumonia due to late-onset Group B Strep (GBS) infection, with a contributory factor listed as a dilated cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) associated with Vitamin D deficiency.
GBS does exist in most humans without ever causing problems, doctor and health commentator Professor Sneh Khemka CBE tells LBC, “but in the very young and in the very old, sometimes it can get into the bloodstream and it can multiply … [causing] other infections, such as pneumonia in the lungs.”
He says this would be more dangerous if a person’s immune system was compromised, and says there are a number of reasons this can happen, but “on rare occasions it can be associated with living circumstances", and says “the social determinants of health, such as poor housing quality do affect young children.”
Dr Khemka, who is independent of the investigation into Akram's death, also says it is possible that “a vitamin D related cardiomyopathy could be an aggravating factor” in a GBS infection becoming severe.
According to its website, Notting Hill Genesis owns over 60,000 properties with 3,000 more being developed over the next five years.
It describes itself as a not-for-profit “with a focus on providing quality homes at below-market rents for people who would otherwise struggle to afford them.”
The company’s CEO, Patrick Franco, formerly chief operating officer of Foxtons, joined in January 2023, promising to prioritise “the service that we offer our residents.”
In November 2024, the month Akram was born, the government’s Regulator of Social Housing downgraded NHG’s governance rating to a non-compliant grade after an inspection found “serious regulatory concerns” including “a repairs backlog.”
Other residents of Jacaranda House have told LBC they believe their health has been affected by damp and mould in their homes.
They claim a flurry of repairs was launched by the housing association in the days after Akram died.
NHG says works were completed at three properties where individual repairs were identified, and says there are currently “no open reports of damp and mould from other residents at Jacaranda House.”
In February 2025, the same month Akram died, the government announced they were delaying the full implementation of Awaab’s Law - named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by "extensive" mould in a one-bedroom flat where he lived with his parents, who are Sudanese nationals, in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
A phased rollout of the law will start this Autumn: "Awaab's Law will apply to emergency hazards and damp and mould from October this year," housing minister Matthew Pennycook told LBC. "Everyone deserves to live in a decent, safe, secure and affordable home. That is the Government's mission that underpins all of the reforms we're making on house building."
A coroner's inquest in Awaab's case found that Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, which owned the flat, had repeatedly failed to fix the mould. The housing association was stripped of its funding, and its chief executive, Gareth Swarbrick, was sacked.
Awaab lived in a flat which had fans that didn’t work, and insufficient ventilation.
Then-housing Secretary Michael Gove said Awaab’s death ‘should have never occurred’ and promised urgent reform with changes to the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.
But landlords in the social rented sector now have until 2027 before they have to start fixing all dangerous hazards within a set timeframe, as stipulated by Awaab’s Law.
“We are disappointed that it's going to take so long to implement,” Deborah Garvie, policy manager for Shelter, tells LBC. “The government had originally said it would be implemented last autumn and so it's very, very important that it is implemented as quickly as possible … [delays] can represent a real danger to the health and safety of tenants.”
Figures from the Housing Ombudsman shared with LBC suggest social landlords are getting worse at dealing with leaks, damp and mould. The “maladministration rate” in cases - which indicates failure to act - was 81% in 24/25, up from 73% in the previous year.
The Mohammeds are calling on the government to act “urgently” to fully implement Awaab’s law.
“I just think [politicians] wouldn't live in the same condition that [we do] … [not] even for [a] single minute” says Aiat. “All we wanted is just [a] healthy environment to breathe for my kids to play. And that was too much to ask for.”
They are currently living in temporary accommodation. NHG says it is working with the family “to arrange suitable permanent living arrangements.”
The inquest is due to take place at St Pancras Coroner’s Court on 15 August 2025.
Patrick Franco, Chief Executive of Notting Hill Genesis, said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Akram Mohammed and extend our sincere condolences to his family, their friends and neighbours. We will continue to support the family in any way we can during this difficult time.
"We know that this is a complex situation and will continue working with the relevant authorities as they conduct their investigations.
"No determination has been made by HM Coroner as to the cause of Akram’s death, and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further or to speculate at this time.”
A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “This is a devastating tragedy, and our sincere condolences are with the family.
“It would be inappropriate for us to comment further until the coroner’s report has been published.”
A Camden Council spokesperson said: “The Council has been chasing Notting Hill Genesis on a regular basis to identify a new home for the family, and to ensure that they continue to get the right support.
“Akram’s death is a tragedy and our thoughts are with his family at what is a very sad time. The family have been receiving bereavement support from the Royal Free Hospital, and they are also getting support from the Council’s local Family Hub. We will continue to stay in contact and we will always be there when we are needed.
“As with any unexpected death, there will be an inquest to determine any contributory factors and learnings for local agencies.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Our thoughts remain with Akram’s family and we understand they found this process distressing.
“However, in the tragic event of an infant death and if police are alerted by medical staff, we must carry out enquiries to understand the circumstances around the incident. Our specialist officers aim to do this as sensitively as possible. In this case, after speaking to Akram’s parents and visiting their family home we quickly established no further action would be taken against the parents. Met Police will be supporting the upcoming inquest.”
A spokesperson for the Royal Free London hospital said: “We would like to share our deepest condolences with Akram’s family at this difficult time. We are sorry to learn about Mr and Mrs Mohammed's poor experience and would like to thank them for bringing this to our attention. Our clinical team would be happy to meet them to discuss their concerns.”
Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “This is a tragic case and our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.
“Whilst the complaint was still within the landlord’s complaints process when Akram passed away, and therefore we were unable to take it on as a formal investigation, we have offered support and advice to the family, including progressing their complaint with the landlord. We will continue to liaise with the family as this case progresses
“Landlords should take a zero tolerant approach to damp and mould. The introduction of Awaab’s Law is a positive step. However, landlords should not wait for its introduction to take further action, including proactively identifying damp and mould in homes rather than waiting for residents to report it.
“We have seen landlords put more resources into addressing damp and mould, use of technology to diagnose causes and encouraging residents to report issues in their homes. However, we are still seeing inadequate inspections, excessive delays for repairs, poor communication and failings to temporarily move residents.”
