Desperate from dust, noise and an infestation of mice

Published: 2 September, 2010

• DAVID FENNELLY is amazed at how he and other residents are being treated by the council because of a huge development being undertaken over the road from his sheltered housing in Hampstead Road (Letters, August 19).

But that is nothing compared with me and 40 other sheltered accommodation residents in Dudley Court, Endell Street.

We have had to suffer major works with dust, noise and drilling right into the walls of our flats while we were living there.

I am 73 and have had heart surgery and I had to keep running out of my home to take refuge in a day centre for as long as I could.

Now that the work is over, myself and three other tenants have been overrun by infestations of mice and moths which have resulted from the works.

So I am still unable to enjoy my home in peace as I am terrified of the mice.

The stress is putting my health in danger. I am desperate and don’t know where I can turn  I have been begging for a transfer but am told I cannot get one on health and safety grounds.

The council’s housing officials have shown no sympathy and say that I will have to “bid” for another flat which could take years.

I agree with Mr Fennelly that we are being treated in a terrible way by a council which doesn’t want to listen to our very real concerns and which, it seems, has not learned the tragic lessons arising out of the death of Jennyfer Spencer earlier this year.

JOAN GRIFFITHS
Dudley Court,
Endell Street,
WC1