Joanna Curry was upstairs in her terraced council house when the roof of her kitchen caved in scattering tiles and plaster on the floor and clipping her two-and-a-half-year-old son on the head.

The boy, who was uninjured, called up to his mother to let her know and the 34-year-old was “disgusted” when she came downstairs to find a gaping whole in her kitchen ceiling.

Joanna said: “It is absolutely disgusting. It is where the children’s cups are and in the school holidays they would be stood there making something to eat. My kitchen is usually my life but I just do not feel safe in there – it stinks and it’s freezing.”

Previously Joanna had called Reading Borough Council about the problem and she initially suspected it may have been her children spilling water on the floor of the bathroom, directly above.

Despite numerous visits from handymen about her bowing ceiling the problem was not caught in time and today’s collapse took place while another council worker was upstairs inspecting mould in one of the bedrooms.

Neither the worker nor Joanna realised what had happened until the member of council staff had left and a surveyor is due to arrive on Wednesday to inspect the house.

Reading Borough Council spokesman Chris Branagan said: "Ms Curry reported an issue with dampness in her kitchen ceiling towards the end of the summer last year and, following a surveyor’s inspection, work was carried out to repair the seal around the bath (which is directly above the kitchen). This was done because it was felt that the problem with the ceiling was caused by water leaking down the back and side of the bath. At this stage, the damage to the ceiling was to a very small area.

"We had no further contact with Ms Curry about the condition of the ceiling until the evening of Sunday 25th January when she reported water pooling in the ceiling and she was concerned about electrics. An out of hours electrician attended the property to ensure electrics were made safe and made an appointment for a plumber to attend the following day. Ms Curry was advised to not use the bath until it was inspected the following day. On Monday 26th January a plumber attended the property and found a leak under the bath which was then repaired. He made an appointment for a plasterer to attend the property on Wednesday to inspect the ceiling and carry out any necessary repair. It was not thought at this stage that there was a risk that part of the ceiling would collapse.

"A surveyor did attend the property on Monday, prior to the ceiling collapse, but that was for an unconnected matter.

"We are sorry that Ms Curry has had to go through this and a plasterer will visit the property this morning to inspect and repair the ceiling."