Parents and children are suffering nose bleeds, headaches, rashes, chest complaints and continual coughs and colds.

They believe they have become ill due to damp conditions in the building and say they are regularly dealing with fly infestations.

And a mother-of-two, who branded the block in Glendoe Terrace in Merkinch a slum, told the Highland News she was horrified to find asbestos in her home and is worried her children have been contaminated by it.

Gemma Sloggie (24) who lives in her ground floor flat with her two sons, Antony (3) and one-year old Liam, told the Highland News: "Antony gets really bad rashes on his body, especially between his legs, but the doctor cannot identify why it is happening. He also gets ulcers on his tongue and ear infections. Liam keeps getting conjunctivitis. Both my children are constantly on medication. I have also developed asthma since moving in here four years ago."

She believes the bulk of the health problems are because of the damp.

"We had a leak at Christmas which they only finally sorted out at the end of February," she said. "However, they haven't really sorted it out as the floor is still damp. When the floor was pulled up, there was just mud underneath and a massive pool of water had formed. There doesn't seem to be any foundations to the building.

"I used to really like living here but I hate it now and I am worried for the health of my sons and for myself.

"My children often go to stay at my mum's and when they are there all the symptoms clear up."

Gemma added: "I have had no end of problems since I lived here. The council keep coming out to fix the problems but they never fix them completely.

"I have a cupboard which I used to keep my food in but there is asbestos in there and when I open it, I get a face full of flies.

"The council has covered up one patch of the kitchen wall where the asbestos was exposed, but by that time it was too late. My children had been exposed to the dust from it and Antony even used to touch it before I knew what it was.

"It worries me that this could make them even more sick, but I believe the affects of asbestos poisoning won't show up for a number of years."

Gemma Sloggie with her three-year-old son outside the Glendoe Terrace flats. Trevor Martin

Other residents who formed the Glendoe Terrace Residents Association backed Gemma's fears.

Dawn Beaton, the chairwoman of the association who has two children, Rebecca (16) and Martyn (13), said: "Martyn is always getting chest infections and colds and he wakes up in the night with nose bleeds.

"A lot of people who live here have developed asthma, and it is not just the children either. I have also heard of a number of people getting nose bleeds.

"We have been asking the council to do something about the state of the flats for a few years now but we just get fobbed off. We had a meeting at the beginning of March with a council representative where we told him of our concerns but we haven't really heard anything since then."

Elaine Duguid, who lives in a first floor flat, added: "My son Matthew is having problems with breathing. He gets very choked up and both of us get lots of headaches."

Initially, Highland Council said they had not been contacted by the women and were not aware of the situation, but if the association informed them, they would take the "necessary action."

However, when pressed by the Highland News, a council spokesman later issued a further statement saying: "Our housing policy officer Lewis Hannah attended a meeting of the Glendoe Residents' Association on March 12.

"Residents highlighted a number of maintenance issues with the building and he duly noted the concerns and passed them to the housing maintenance team for action.

"He was also made aware that residents complained of feeling unwell, suffering headaches and nose bleeds."

c.doughty@highland-news.co.uk

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