Housing board SACKS chief executive who refused to resign after toddler was killed by mould in home

The boss of a housing group which owns the home where a toddler was killed by ‘extensive’ mould has been sacked as a vigil for the boy gathered following outrage over the tragedy.

Gareth Swarbrick said on Thursday he would not resign over the death of Awaab Ishak, who was killed from exposure to the mould in his family home in Rochdale just days before he turned two years old.

However, he has now been forced out as chief executive of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) following days of public pressure.

The Board of RBH said in a statement: ‘The Board has taken the decision to remove Gareth Swarbrick from his post as Chief Executive of RBH with immediate effect. 

‘We will now work to appoint an external Interim Chief Executive.

‘Our original instincts were for Gareth to stay on to see the organisation through this difficult period and to make the necessary changes, but we all recognise that this is no longer tenable.’