Grandma hasn’t had cooked meal in seven weeks because of kitchen fly infestation

Joy McClenaghan, 64, said the issue is really affecting her health and making her depressed (Pictures: BPM Media)

A grandma said she has not been able to use her kitchen for almost two months because of an uncontrollable fly infestation.

Joy McClenaghan, 64, lives in a council flat in Oldbury, in the West Midlands, with her dog.

The pair have been living there since November but a sewer pipe broke in her kitchen on March 5 and it has caused chaos ever since.

Ms McClenaghan insists the council took ‘three solid days and nights’ to deal with it.

Sandwell Council disputes this and claims someone went to Ms McClenaghan’s home the next day.

The broken pipe seems to have triggered a stubborn fly infestation which traps, bug spray and deep-cleaning haven’t been able to fix.

The flies in her house only live for 24 hours – but by the time they die, they have already laid enough eggs for the cycle to continue.

The 64-year-old has tried different ways of getting rid of the flies multiple times now (Picture: BPM Media)

Ms McClenaghan said: ‘They went into the kitchen and they said: “You have got to open your window and get some fly traps”.

‘They cleaned them all up, threw them down the sink and left. I went in there, I did the fly spray, but they were still in there an hour later.’

She stayed with her daughter while the place was fumigated but even that didn’t solve the problem.

Ms McClenaghan has had to buy a new toaster, microwave and kettle to avoid the bacteria the flies would have left on her old appliances.

She keeps the kitchen door closed and relies on the microwave or deliveries from her children for meals.

She said: ‘I am not going to use my kitchen. (The flies) are from the sewer. It is already affecting my health and I need hot food.

‘They are just none stop. I am already depressed, I have got conditions and I am disabled.

Even when the flies are killed, they have already laid enough eggs for the cycle to continue (Picture: BPM)

‘I haven’t had a cooked meal in seven weeks.’

Ms McClenaghan has called social services and is hoping she can start to use her council’s ‘meals on wheels’ programme – where a hot meal is delivered to one’s home.

The council said: ‘Sandwell Council officers have attended the property on several occasions.

‘They have repaired the sewer pipe. They have checked all pipework in the kitchen and found no leaks.

‘The kitchen and units have been deep-cleaned and a follow-up visit has been arranged to clean out the trap under the sink.’

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