Housing boss finally SACKED after two-year-old Awaab Ishak was killed by mould

The head of the housing trust which catastrophically failed tragic toddler Awaab Ishak and his family has finally been sacked.

Gareth Swarbrick had vowed to stay on as head of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) in spite of intense pressure to quit after it emerged Awaab, two, had died as a result of black mould in his home.

The toddler’s family had repeatedly alerted RBH to the issue, but this week a coroner ruled their worries were not acted on, and branded the flat “unfit for human habitation”.

There had been mounting pressure for Mr Swarbrick to go, and today RBH at last admitted that his position had become untenable.

Just yesterday shameless Mr Swarbrick said in a statement: “The conversation around my position has begun to overshadow the most important part of all of this, which is that a family has lost their child.

“Having spoken to the Board, I can confirm that I will not be resigning. They have given me their full backing and trust to continue to oversee the improvements and changes needed within RBH.”

But in a statement today RBH – which Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove this week told the Commons was guilty of a “terrible dereliction of duty” – said: “Our original instincts were for Gareth to stay on to see the organisation through this difficult period and to make the necessary changes, but we all recognise that this is no longer tenable.”

The statement continued: “As an organisation we are deeply sorry for the death of Awaab and devastated that it happened in one of our homes. We must ensure this can never happen again. His death needs to be a wake-up call for everyone in housing, social care and health.”

On Wednesday Mr Gove said it “beggars belief” that the chief executive was still in post.

And Tory MP Chris Clarkson described RBH on Thursday as “modern day slumlords” and said that the chief executive should face the consequences of failings.

Downing Street this week said the circumstances in which Awaab died are “unacceptable” and the government will “no longer stand for” landlords failing their tenants.

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