A new mother was forced to stay in an "absolute cesspit" at Watford General Hospital just days after giving birth to her second child.

Chantelle Barbieri, 36, was moved to a room in the Katherine Ward after hospital staff discovered she had an infection.

But after arriving in the room, her husband Luigi Barbieri found that the toilet leaked when flushed, flies were in the shower, dirt was behind the main door and mould surrounded the windows.

The mother-of-two from Abbots Langley was admitted to the Vicarage Road hospital after feeling unwell in the week following the birth of Ava, the pair’s second child and Chantelle was seen by staff at the hospital before the newborn was due to have a routine check up.

Luigi said: "I was just looking round the room and I was in dismay, thinking that this room is a room where they put a mother and a baby if there is a problem.

"I just could not comprehend that anyone would be put in a room in that state."

Mr Barbieri, of Raymond Close, Abbots Langley was so angered by the state of the room he posted pictures of it on social networking site, Twitter.

He added: "I have had people tweet me saying that ‘I would not put my dog in that room.’"

After Mr. Barbieri raised concerns about the standard of the room, he sought the nearest on duty member of staff and was told "there was nothing we can do and there were no other rooms available."

However, Mrs Barbieri was moved to a room later that day.

But since taking to twitter to condemn the state of the room, the pair have met with the head of facilities and the head of midwives at Watford General Hospital and have been given reassurances that this will not happen again.

Despite his anger over the state of the room, the 43 year-old praised the standard of care his wife received from the midwives and nurses at the hospital.

He said: "I cannot say enough, the level of care my wife has received has been exemplary.

"The midwives and nurses are working with their hands tied behind their back and they cared for my wife fantastically."

The Abbots Langley man also praised Jenny Fake, one senior midwife at Watford General, who he described as a "lovely lady."

He said: "She was one of the first senior midwives who came to see my wife and made no bones about it and she was in disgust herself and apologised on behalf of the trust and Watford General Hospital."

Waftord General has been the scene of political disputes over recent months, with Labour leader Ed Miliband using a party political broadcast at the hospital to say that the hospital "has really desperately needed modernisation."

Jackie Ardley, chief nurse said: "I would like to offer my sincere apologies to Mr and Mrs Barbieri for the standard of the room that Mrs Barbieri was admitted to.

"Our director of estates has met with Mr and Mrs Barbieri and has personally apologised. 
The room was clearly not as clean or well maintained as I would have expected it to be. Mrs Barbieri was moved to another room as soon as we were made aware of the problem and I ordered a thorough clean of the entire room.

"In addition, our estates team have fixed the vast majority of the maintenance issues, including the chipped sockets.

"Plans are also in place to refurbish large parts of our maternity unit, including the bathrooms. This will improve the environment for all patients and fix other outstanding repairs.

"I understand that Mr and Mrs Barbieri are very happy with the care our maternity team provided, however I am very disappointed that this was compromised by the standard of the room."