"I've been trapped in my home for 12 years by badgers and mould"

A woman says she’s been left a prisoner in her own home for the last 12 years after it was made unsafe due to mould - and burrowing BADGERS.

Rae Boxley, 52, said she is forced to sleep upright on an armchair in her living room after her mould-ridden property left her suffering with breathing problems.

She has been embroiled in a bitter dispute with her local council due to the state of her home, which has 'black slime' on most of the furniture and attracts slugs.

Rae claims Dudley Council has done nothing to solve the issue after she estimates £10,000 worth of damage was caused to her belongings.

She says she can't store her clothes in her drawers because mould spores ruin them so she now keeps all her garments in carrier bags instead.

Rae, who lives with spinal myelopathy, which leaves her at risk of fatal injury from even a gentle fall, says even her garden in a safety hazard.

As well as mould covering her walls, ceilings and bedroom, the garden is also unusable due to burrowing badgers leaving the ground hollow and uneven.

Dudley Council said it had investigated but, as badgers are protected by law, its options are "very limited".

Rae, from Stourbridge, West Mids., said she'd been told by her counsellor her ordeal was the equivalent of "12 years of physical torture."

Rae, who also spent a month sleeping in her car on the driveway, added: “The problems all started in 2012 and they still haven't been fixed.

"I can’t bring anyone around here. It's too embarrassing and I didn't want to cause anyone breathing problems. It’s not a life, it’s just an existence.

“Inside all the floors are wet. When a builder came he took part of the floorboard up ,he said the boards are going rotten.

"They’ve been wet for 12 years. Even the carpets are wet now.

“I’ve had to throw furniture away. I’ve been sleeping in the living room sitting up for six years because my bed is too wet.

“I put my head on the pillow and I could smell damp. You want to pull your skin off it itches that much.

“I’ve had to throw away sideboards and cupboards which I kept my things in so I'm keeping them in bags.

“My DFS sofa I'm having to throw away because it has mould spores. I’m unable to sleep laying down now.

"Everything has got to be replaced and I don’t know where the money is going to come from.

"I’ve debated starting a GoFundMe. But I think with everything I need to replace would cost in the region of £10,000.

“No one realises how I’ve actually been living.

“My PTSD councillor said what I’m going through is the same as 12 years of physical torture.

“Some days I can’t speak because it’s the sinuses that are blocked. I’m waking up in the middle of the night and I’m physically panicking as I can't get enough air into my lungs.

“I’ve got quite a few pairs of boots that are leather and they’re all ruined. There’s some clothes that are beyond washing.

“I’ve had to throw some quite expensive clothes and quilts away."