Tenant activist group Acorn have staged a protest along with a Bristol family outside their landlord’s office after claiming that years of complaints about maggots and flies in their rental home have been ignored.

Tenant Jess Rumble-Bear, who is pregnant, shares the one-bedroom flat in Emersons Green with her partner Wesley Bear, their eight-month-old baby and her teenage daughter. She says they have been battling with infestations in their flat since 2017, with flies and maggots coming out of brick vents and skirting boards.

My baby is crawling through filth. I don’t feel safe.”

“My baby is crawling through filth,” she told the Bristol Post. “I don’t feel safe. I don’t feel heard. I’m scared every day.”

And her partner, Wesley, who chairs Acorn’s Bristol branch, says his family feels abandoned. “We’re crammed into one room, breathing this in. It feels like bullying.”

He says the problems began when rubbish that had been left outside led to maggots crawling into brick vents. The housing association landlord, Sovereign (SNG), though, claims it found no evidence of any infestation when staff finally visited the property in July.

A spokesperson said: “Our staff attended the property and found no evidence of the infestation, despite a thorough inspection.”

Assault

The visit ended in controversy with Sovereign alleging Bear physically assaulted a member of staff, which was subsequently reported to the police.

“He physically assaulted one of our colleagues,” the spokesperson adds. “This is wholly unacceptable behaviour.”

However, Acorn member Owen, who was at the flat at the time, disputes the assault allegations, saying Bear simply sat by the front door “in desperation” when staff attempted to leave without completing investigations.

“Sovereign’s claims are completely baseless. Our member pleaded with Sovereign employees to stay and witness the fly infestation.”

The dispute escalated further last week when Rumble-Bear, Bear and Acorn supporters descended on Sovereign’s Filton office, but found it empty after staff were reportedly told to work from home.

(Image: Acorn Bristol)