A housing estate has been branded a "slum" by furious residents forced to live with cockroaches and collapsed walls.
The reported problems at Milford Towers, in Lewisham, south London, include faeces and rubbish dumped in communal areas, MyLondon reports.
It's making lives a misery for the hundreds who live there but residents say they are being ignored and demand action.
They also claim drug users are being allowed to take over the area while grim conditions in the flats have been left to fester.
A resident called Prince said: “It’s been a nightmare. I’ve lived here since 2013, and the best time up here was in the pandemic when the council was forced to house [those with drug dependency issues].
“You can’t come in because you have to inhale whatever they’re smoking in the hallway, you have to step over faeces, the lifts here break quite often, and the stairs.
"Let’s put it this way, you would rather destroy your shoes than put them in your house after walking up the stairs.”
The London Renters Union, which represents around 5,000 renters across London, accused the council of greed.
They say the living conditions at Milford Towers are "unacceptable".
Spokesperson Kane Shaw said: “The residents have been ignored for years and we have seen shocking levels of disrepair and neglect from the council.
"In our opinion this outsourcing arrangement is driven by nothing other than greed."
Residents have written an open letter to Councillor Paul Bell, head of housing and planning at Lewisham Council.
A Lewisham Council spokesperson said that housing officials had committed to meeting residents to address concerns.
The spokesperson said: “Lewisham Homes have carried out extensive repair works in recent years, investing several million pounds to ensure the safety and security of residents living on the estate.
"This has included fire safety works, external concrete repairs, refurbishment of the lifts and a programme of roof repair works which is scheduled to take place in the coming months.
“We have been working closely with Lewisham Homes, Notting Hill Genesis and the local police to manage issues of anti-social behaviour, with increased police patrols on the estate and the surrounding area in recent months.
"We are also exploring legal options to prevent people suspected of anti-social behaviour from entering the estate.”
Notting Hill Genesis housing association, which is responsible for managing the properties and carrying out any internal repairs reported by residents, said: “We are aware of the various issues at Milford Towers and recognise the impact they are having on our residents.
"We are working with other local organisations, including the council, the police and the shopping centre management to address the problems.
“We hope that a recent increased police presence in the area will help deal with anti-social behaviour, which we understand is largely carried out by people who don’t live on the estate.”
