Mum says daughter's goldfish were boiled alive after builder heated house to 50C

A mum has claimed builders boiled her daughter's goldfish alive after they turned on eight humidifiers and raised their home's temperature to 50C.

Dr Emmaline Green, 46, said the incident took place at her family home in Thetford, Norfolk, after workmen were called following a broken toilet that caused the four-bedroomed property to flood on 23 May.

Albanpix

The home needed drying out with the aid of humidifiers, and the mum-of-three specifically asked the builders to move Mr Big Fish's tank to a carport to keep him and his friends safe.

Unfortunately, Mr Big Fish's tank was only taken to one of the bedrooms, which meant that he was subject to temperatures of 50C, Dr Green told The Sun. 

After the fish died, she reported the insurance company, Royal Sun Alliance, who commissioned the builders to fix the flooding.

The mum said: "We found the fish just floating in their tank. They didn't stand a chance.

"The one that broke my daughter's heart was Mr Big Fish. He wasn't just a fish to her, he was a friend.

"We had him for six years after she won him at a fairground. I sat her down and told her in the garden and she just wept and wept."

The family has vowed to never forgive the builders for killing the fish and 'for how they've treated us'.  

Even with the use of eight humidifiers, the problems caused by the flooding in the Norfolk home have yet to be resolved and Dr Green claimed that the family have been left at least £7,000 out of pocket.

They are currently living in a caravan as they await the situation being fixed - over four months on from the original flooding.

As well as killing Mr Big Fish, the excessive heat caused by the builders' actions also melted candles, broke the television, warped the furniture and even sparked small fires in drawers.

Albanpix

As reported by the MailOnline, a spokesperson for the insurance company said: "We're very sorry for the problems Dr Green and her family have experienced with this claim. It is a complex claim with multiple parties involved, but the way it has been handled falls below the standards our customers expect of us and those we set ourselves. 

"We have taken steps to expedite this claim to ensure it is satisfactorily resolved, while also looking to learn from this case. A formal complaint has been finalised and we have offered Dr Green compensation for the disruption caused."

A spokesperson Royal Sun Alliance told Tyla that the family have received £3,000 in compensation and been gifted a caravan worth £20,000 as temporary accommodation.

They said: "A suitable rental property could not be found. Largely due to the lack of options and the popularity of the area throughout the summer.

"We have paid for the family to purchase a touring caravan. We will also cover the heating costs in the caravan. When the family move back into their property they can either keep or sell the caravan, which is worth approximately £20K.

"The family were unable to take their goldfish with them to their temporary residence. It is clear that not enough attention was paid to its habitat during the drying process and regrettably, we discovered they had died due to the conditions in the property."

Topics: News

Emma Guinness

@guinness_emma