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Lee and Martina Rickler inspect the damage to the ceiling in their lounge. Inset above, the damaged structure |
Pregnant mum’s narrow escape as ceiling collapses
Housing agency issues an apology after woman leaps to safety
THE heavily pregnant wife of an Archway campaigner narrowly escaped injury when part of their living room ceiling suddenly caved in on Sunday night.
Martina Rickler, 28, was putting her three-year-old child into his pyjamas when she noticed a crack in the ceiling which appeared to be getting wider.
“I grabbed my son and we moved away just as the ceiling collapsed onto the sofa,” said Mrs Rickler, who is due to give birth next month.
The drama began at 9pm at the three-storey terraced council property in Monnery Road, off Junction Road.
Web designer Lee Rickler, who is well known in Archway for his campaigns in support of small traders, rushed into the living room from the kitchen when he heard the crash to discover his wife and child cowering in a corner.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “If they had been sitting on that sofa when the ceiling came down they could have been badly hurt. They were very lucky.”
An additional problem was that the family couldn’t open windows to remove dust because they had been temporarily sealed by contractors working on the property.
Partners for Islington – the housing agency responsible for council homes – this week launched a full-scale inquiry into the incident.
Surveyors were examining refurbishment work being done by contractors United House to see if that could have contributed to the collapse.
PFI sent an emergency official to the Ricklers home at 11pm on Sunday and helped scoop up six bags of rubble.
A spokesman for Partners for Islington said: “This must have been a very alarming incident for this family and we are very thankful no one was hurt.
“It’s not clear why the plaster fell off but we can discount refurbishment works. The whole flat – including the ceiling – passed a thorough check last year by surveyors.
“We regret the inconvenience caused. Builders are sorting it out as a matter of urgency.” |
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