STEVENSTON man John Newall would be forgiven for thinking he was dreaming when it sounded like it was raining inside his home.

But that is exactly what was happening at his flat on the town's Glebe Street last month.

Mr Newall, who struggles with a number of health issues, said he was woken at 2am one Sunday night in August by what sounded like rain - and turned out to be what he described as a "torrential downpour" in the bathroom and kitchen areas of his home.

Mr Newall and other family members own his home - but the flat above it, from where the water was flowing, is owned by North Ayrshire Council.

Mr Newall said the flat above has had around four different occupiers in the past two years, the latest of which left in April - and that since then, workers have been coming in and out of the two-bedroomed property on a regular basis.

The Herald visited Mr Newall, and a family friend who had been helping out at the home, shortly after the incident and despite the adversity they remained remarkably calm.

Both understood that reparations regarding the damage caused would be handled through both Mr Newall's and the council's insurance.

But they criticised the council's handling of the situation and the lack of support offered by the authority.

This comes despite support along the way from local councillor Cameron Inglis who has tried to press the relevant council departments along.

“We are not complaining unjustly," they said. "This is not our responsibility but we have to sort this for ourselves.

“Someone should have come out from the council. The way the council has dealt with it has been absolutely terrible.”

The flat is one that has been causing significant issues to Mr Newall over the past few months, with the episode last month the worst to date.

He said he had discovered the 2am downpour was caused by a burst pipe in the flat above.

The burst left walls and cupboards soaking wet and saw water ingress in his floorboards.

It also flooded a cupboard containing essential medication - much of which dissolved when hit by the water.

Workers who attended Mr Newall's home after the burst said he would need a dehumidifier "right away" to deal with the resulting dampness - but Mr Newall said he was angry that the council did not at least offer to provide such a device.

A council spokesperson said officials from the authority had since visited Mr Newall, and insisted that he was offered support.

The spokesperson said: “While we generally don’t comment on individual cases, we can confirm we are aware of this incident in which a pipe in a council-owned property developed a leak. This has since been repaired.

“We have been undertaking necessary improvement works in the empty property to ensure it meets an acceptable letting standard.

“Mr Newall has been visited by a housing representative and has been offered support and assistance with this matter.”