UK woman claims neighbour's 'toxic' cooking is 'torture'

The cooking has 'overwhelmed' the woman. Photo / iStock

A woman has launched a legal bid to ban her neighbours from cooking spicy food.

Joanna Louise Cridlin, from Wandsworth is also looking for compensation, as she claims the "strong overwhelming vapour of hot chillis" from the flat above her home.

She insists the fumes "constricts her airways and burns her windpipe" and "permeates her home" for up to eight hours.

She is now suing at London's High Court, hoping to force her neighbours' landlords to take action and to net damages.

In a writ, Miss Cridlin says she has lived in the Victorian house, which has been converted into flats in leafy Geraldine Road, Wandsworth, for almost 40 years.

One-bed flats in the street go for £500,000, while houses have fetched up to £2.85m.

In the writ, Miss Cridlin says that three years ago new neighbours moved in upstairs and, since Christmas 2014, have been "causing overwhelming pungent toxic fumes from their cooking of hot chillis which permeate her home."

And she argues that the production of the spicy pong ought to be classifed as "anti-social behaviour."

Miss Cridlin says in the writ that she suffers from "respiratory problems" and that the spicy waft from above her flat is making her life hell.

Because of the "pungent chillis" enjoyed so much by her neighbours, she says she has "choked in her sleep on several occasions" and "staggered to her balcony gasping for air" after the chilli fumes brought on breathing difficulties.

"The pungent smell overwhelms her," the writ adds, describing her situation as "torture."

She is suing Viridian Housing, who are the landlords for both her and her neighbours, in a bid to force them to take action.

She says the landlords have "ignored her legitimate appeal for help."

Miss Cridlin also claims Viridian were responsible for raised levels of carbon monoxide in her home, due to failures to make boiler repairs, which further added to her breathing problems.

She says the landlords are "in breach of their duty of care" towards her, by not reacting strongly enough to her complaints about the chilli fumes.

She is also seeking damages from them for loss of earnings and personal injury.

Viridian's defence to the claim was not available from the court and Miss Cridlin's neighbours are not being sued. The contents of the writ have yet to be tested in evidence before a judge.