The almost transparent type of ant has become notorious for being a major indoor nuisance pest, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

A family will be paid £1,200 in compensation from Haringey Council after spending eight months in temporary housing deemed “unsuitable” because of a “pharaoh ant infestation”.

A Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman report stated the property the single mum and her children had been placed in by the council was unsuitable because of the untreated ant infestation as well as problems with the roof.

In response a council spokesperson said it would “absolutely learn lessons” from the ombudsman’s findings and said it had apologised to the family for the “mistakes made”.

Pharaoh ants are an almost transparent type of ant that have become notorious for being a major indoor nuisance pest.

In September 2021, the family were moved into temporary accommodation after the mother – referred to anonymously as ‘Ms X’ in the report – made a homelessness application and the council accepted it owed them main housing duty.

In March 2023 the council reviewed the suitability of the property and agreed it was “unsuitable” due to the ant infestation which had “not been treated” as well as the fact it could not establish the cause of issues with the property’s roof.

In April the family were put on the council’s temporary accommodation transfer list but, in May, Ms X complained that she had “not heard anything” and was “still living in poor housing conditions”.

In August the council responded to her complaint and said it had carried out a mould wash and inspected the roof which it hoped resolved issues. The council signposted the ombudsman to Ms X if she “wanted to take the complaint further”.

In October she also warned the council she was now “at risk of violence” at her property and provided the “relevant crime reference numbers”.

Ms X contacted the council again in early November as she had “not received a response” and repeated she was “unhappy” with the amount of time it was talking to move her to alternative accommodation.

In response the council offered to move the family into emergency bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation, however, Ms X declined. The watchdog said it was “unlikely” this option would have been “suitable”.

In late November, the council responded to Ms X’s complaint and apologised to her. Since the ombudsman’s enquiries into her case, the council has offered her new temporary accommodation which was suitable and in a safe location. The family has since moved into the property.

The council spokesperson added: “While the disrepair issues were eventually resolved, these should have happened much sooner.

“When the risk to safety emerged, and a move away from the property was urgently required, we worked hard to find suitable alternative accommodation.

“We recognise the delays would have been distressing and the process took longer than we would have anticipated. The situation has now been resolved and we hope the family have settled into their new home.

“There is a severe shortage of family-sized homes in Haringey at a time when demand is higher than ever. That’s why we have an extensive plan in place to help us address these challenges so we can support those most in need.”

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