Brighton council apologises after ceiling falls on man's head

Dimitar Boev, 34, was sent to hospital after a large chunk of the ceiling fell on top of him.

He had just returned to his flat in Percival Terrace, Marine Parade, in Brighton, from the gym, when the incident happened on June 17.

Dimitar was taken to the accident and emergency department of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in an ambulance where he was diagnosed with a spinal injury and minor traumatic brain injury. 

Dimitar was taken to hospital in an ambulance (Image: Dimitar Boev)

Dimitar said: “I was in shock, the dust was all over me.

“The problem after the incident was that I relapsed after nine months of sobriety due to the stress and because this happened in a place where you should be safe.

“I’m lucky I’m alive and I didn't get hurt, except for my mental health.

The ceiling debris fell on Dimitri's head, leaving him with a spinal and minor brain injury (Image: Dimitar Boev)

“I was living the dream before this incident and now I feel really mentally down.”

Dimitar was living in the emergency accommodation which is managed by Brighton and Hove City Council. 

A spokesman for the council said: “This was clearly a distressing situation for the resident and our immediate focus is on making sure they are ok and supporting them while they recover.

“Our team is also investigating why this happened, cleaning the property and repairing the ceiling and any other damage.

“We have apologised to the resident and will remain in regular contact with them over the coming weeks.”

A similar incident happened in August last year. The ceiling in a block of flats used as emergency accommodation for homeless people in Grand Parade, Brighton, collapsed on residents as they slept during the night.

The building’s owner, Baron Homes, has many properties across the city used by Brighton and Hove City Council as emergency accommodation for homeless people.

Both apologised to residents and the ceiling was repaired.