Who has estate keys?

Published: 7 May, 2010

• TODAY, a Domino’s pizza leaflet dropped through my door, so I rushed out and there were two males delivering them. I asked how they got into our estate and they said they had an official key.
They showed me a fireman’s override key (Skeleton key sales spark a safety alert, April 9). I told them it was illegal to have this as it was for emergency services only and asked them to give it to me. They refused and said they were given it as a present. I called police, who turned up 35 minutes later.
It turns out the men work for a marketing company. They told police that the company gives the keys to everyone. At my suggestion the police spoke to Homes for Islington (HfI).
The police took the men’s details and gave them the key back. I told them they should confiscate it, as even Sergeant Jamie Bassett, of Islington Safer Neighbourhoods team, said they should not have it.
The police said that, as they had been given the keys in good faith, they could not confiscate them, but told them not to use them on the Popham estate. Everyone left.
I phoned HfI, who told me they told the police they would contact the company and see what they could do. I then phoned the Safer Neighbourhoods team, who said they would speak to HfI about it.
What a total joke. What is the point of the police and now HfI condoning the use of these keys?
The people with these keys could be lending them to burglars. Scary,  eh?
MARTIN RUTHERFORD
Secretary, Popham 1 Estate Tenants’ and Residents’ Association