Tracey Norton and Daniel, who uses a wheelchair, and for whom she is a full-time carer

ONE of the capital’s largest housing associations issued an apology to a tenant whose flat was left like a “building site” for weeks and stumped up for her Christmas lunch, decorations, and tree as a goodwill gesture.

Peabody’s top brass spoke face-to-face with grieving mother Tracey Norton, who cares for her disabled son on the Tachbrook estate, Pimlico, following a story in Friday’s Extra.

Ms Norton was devastated after her Christmas faced ruin by a botched job to fix damp and mould that left her kitchen out of bounds.

Her son Daniel, 23, had not been able to shower since September 30 and she had been hand-washing him.

She said she spoke to Peabody managing director Sharon Goddard and another high ranking officer outside her home, before being given a credit card to buy her Christmas gear.

Ms Norton said: “I ordered a table, chairs, pots and pans, literally everything, like cups, a Christmas tree and decorations from Amazon.

“It was like a complete transformation, from stonewalling to ‘what do you need?’ But I’m still – like – why can’t you just do it properly in the first place, in May, and then I wouldn’t be three weeks before Christmas with no toilet and no shower?”

She added: “I was pleased that the article had had an immediate effect but it actually shouldn’t have taken me going to the press to get a basic bathroom and kitchen.

“And how many other people on my estate, because they’ve seen the article, have all come up to me and gone ‘Oh, my God, this is leaking and that is leaking’.

“How many other people on this estate are in the same mess as I am?”

Through tears she had described her living conditions to Extra last week as “quite horrific”, made even worse after losing her husband earlier this year, and added: “It’s bad enough that it’s the first Christmas without him, but also the first Christmas that I won’t be able to put up any decorations. I haven’t been able to cook my Christmas pudding and cake, with the stupid sweet notes and trinkets I used to put inside, that should be cooked by now.”

This week Ms Norton said she was “pleased” that the situation was looking more optimistic.

Daniel had his travel paid for to his partner’s house in the Isle of Wight and work will begin soon on a shower room.

She said Daniel was “really quite happy” although she was sad they weren’t together at the moment, adding that she hopes they will be reunited in her flat for Christmas.

A Peabody spokesman said that work to fix the flat was well under way and that they had agreed to order items for Ms Norton’s Christmas, adding that credit cards were sometimes used for urgent purchases.

A statement said: “We’re really sorry to Tracey and Daniel for not getting the problems in their home sorted sooner.

“We met with Tracey earlier this week and will be making the outstanding repairs as soon as possible. Our priority is to fix the bathroom, which we’ve arranged to start next week, and we’re working with Tracey to find suitable temporary accommodation for Daniel.

“We’ll also be replacing Tracey’s kitchen in the new year and in the meantime ensuring she has all the cooking items she needs for Christmas.”