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Friday 21st October, 2005

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By PETER GRUNER

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Widow’s four-letter sign goes up after ‘break-in’

Angry tenant returns to find mess left by workers in hunt for leak

Angry tenant Pat Briggs

RETIRED dressmaker Pat Briggs has a four-letter message waiting for Town Hall housing officials should they attempt to break into her home again while she is out.
Her sign saying “P*** off council” has gone up at the outside patio door of her council home in Theseus Walk on the Nelson estate, off City Road.
Mrs Briggs, 66, who is disabled, is taking Islington Council to the Ombudsman after four housing staff investigating a water leak broke into her home last month while she was at hospital.
The workers unscrewed the locks of her outside security grille and patio door to gain entrance.
She says the men left the flat in disarray, pulling out various kitchen appliances, and that her home was without water for eight days. The leak was finally traced to a flat next door.
Mrs Briggs, a widow, is seeking compensation for the distress caused. When she arrived home from hospital she failed to notice the note left by the workers and thought burglars had broken in.
Then she was left without water, although the council supplied five bottles for drinking.
While the door and grille were all replaced by the workers, Mrs Briggs fears that her security has been “comprised” and is demanding new ones.
She said: “They say it was an emergency but I believe the leak was actually first discovered the day before they came and broke in.
“So the question I ask is: why didn’t they contact me on that day, either by phone or a note through the door saying they wanted to gain entrance to the flat?”
Mrs Briggs added: “They used a ladder to get into my small patio. Then they took half an hour to unscrew the two doors – which shows you how secure they are – before gaining entrance to the flat. They then proceeded to pull out various appliances, including my washing machine and spin dryer.
“I came home and the place was an absolute mess, with dirty footprints across my carpets.”
By the time she noticed the note left by housing staff on the kitchen table she was so angry she marched down to the police station to make a formal complaint.
Lib Dem councillor Keith Sharp has called for a full investigation into her complaint “as a matter of urgency” and is also demanding an explanation and apology.
Homes for Islington – the privatised arm of Islington’s housing repairs service – has apologised for “any inconvenience and distress caused” but maintains the decision to forcibly enter the flat was necessary.
HfI team leader James Walker said his staff had made every effort to contact Mrs Briggs before forcing their way into the flat.
He added: “With regard to entering rooms and moving items, unfortunately this was inevitable as the contractor had to trace the source of the leak. Two officers attended to ensure the entry and search was carried out appropriately.”

Give power to the people

POST-war, early 1950s Britain was still experiencing food rationing and was a disillusioning place for English gourmands. The war had destroyed the restaurant trade and, with few exceptions, post-war eateries made the worst of a bad situation.
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