A pregnant mum blacked out after receiving an electric shock when she plugged her Christmas tree lights in after complaining for months about the damp in her flat.

Nicola Wilson decorated the tree with her two-year-old son Harvey then reached behind an armchair to plug the lights in, unaware of how wet the socket and surrounding wall were.

The 19-year-old, who is expecting another boy after Christmas, said: "I leant over the armchair and used one finger to flick the switch. The shock jolted me back into the room.

"My partner said I blacked out for a minute and when I came round I burst into tears.

"I had a tightness in my chest like someone had pressed it really quickly. It was quite scary but that didn’t last long. The shock went up to my elbow then back the other way. It was about two hours before the feeling went off completely."

Miss Wilson dialled 111, the NHS’ non-emergency number, and an ambulance was called.

A paramedic wrote on a report into the call-out: "House is damp, walls visibly wet and mouldy, plug sockets wet."

She was not taken to hospital as her baby was moving but was advised to call her midwife or GP or go to A&E if she had any concerns.

Miss Wilson was placed in the privately owned flat in Roseholme, Barming, by Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) in the summer and her housing benefit pays the rent.

Earlier this month she spent five days with no hot water following weeks with a temperamental boiler and as a result has decided against a home birth with her second child.

Other complaints include a lack of lighting in the communal stairwell, no door to the living room meaning heat easily escapes, steep stairs to the flat, loose carpets causing a trip hazard and the oven not working for six weeks.

Miss Wilson, her partner Ryan Andrews and dad Steve Wilson have repeatedly cleaned the walls and dried out the flat by opening windows or turning on the heating but the mould always returns, she said.

Mr Wilson, who has been talking to MBC on his daughter’s behalf, said: "We don’t expect Disneyland but it’s got to be livable. The conditions she’s living in, with the amount of mould and water running down the walls, could have killed her."

A spokesman for MBC said that there was nothing wrong with the electrics but admitted there was a damp problem and advised Miss Wilson to "reduce the amount of moisture in the home".

John Littlemore, head of housing and community services, said: "The property was inspected in June before the client moved in.

"There were no category 1 or high category 2 hazards present and the electrical report found the electrical system to be satisfactory, safe and compliant with current requirements. Subsequent testing of the electrical system by a qualified electrician at the request of the landlord has produced no reports of any defects.

"Officers from the council have visited the property on two further occasions since this complaint and an issue of condensation dampness has been identified. Tenants who have a condensation dampness issue are advised to reduce the amount of moisture in the home, ventilate after bathing, cooking and keep a constant moderate temperature in the home."

Mr Littlemore said MBC has told the freeholder to install new doors and a handrail in the communal area.

He added: "Any tenant who has a disrepair issue in their property should contact their landlord in the first instance; the council can only intervene if an issue is not suitably resolved in a reasonable period of time.”