Hajar Mamoun negotiates the makeshift stepping stones tenants have used to get in and out of their flats

RESIDENTS living in a block of flats have had to deal with the stench of raw sewage for days after the ground floor has been flooded with foul water from over flowing, blocked drains.

Tenants living in Kent House, the art deco block in Ferdinand Street, Chalk Farm, run by Origin Housing, are using bricks, stones and discarded barrels from the roof to use as stepping stones to avoid wading through the sew­age contaminated water.

Residents said the problem started on Friday as a small puddle but rapidly worsened over the weekend confining them to their homes.

Natalie Hawkins, who lives on the first floor said: “All the drains are connected and because one is blocked and now they are all blocked, it smells like and looks like excrement and there are worms in the dirty water.

“I had to open my windows today for the first time in a week because the condensation is building up but the minute you open them the smell, you would pass out from it.”

She added: “My son came down the other day and he was gagging from the smell, you can smell it down the street. The tenants are convinced that Origin is letting this building rot.”

Michelle Saunders, Natalie Hawkins (on the stairs) and Hajar Mamoun say the stench is unbearable

The listed block of flats near Chalk Farm was originally opened in 1935 and reopened in 2005 by the Duke of Kent, Prince Edward, after an external refurbishment and installation of the play equipment outside.

Residents said that the drains are blocked multiple times a year, causing water to come up, a foot deep, blocking access to the lift and stairwell.

Michelle Saunders has lived in Kent house for 29 years, her parents for over 50 years, and her grandmother was one of the first tenants to move into the block in 1935.

“Origin doesn’t seem to want to pay out and get the work done but they are quick to take the rent off you and quick to inform you service charges are going up.

“This is an emergency, and they do not take it seriously. This is such a lovely building and we have a great community here, but nothing gets done, and then you have situations like this.”

Kent House

Hajar Mamoun, another resident, told the New Journal she has had to wade through the water wearing protective shoes just so she can take her daughter to school. “We have to sanitise everything when we get home,” she said.

“It’s disgusting. We can’t open the windows because it stinks, but having the windows closed all the time means mould builds up.”

Ms Hawkins added: “Origin has never got to the bottom of what the problem is. We know its old plumbing and old piping so that’s part of the issue but there has never been an overhaul of works”

The makeshift stepping stones

A spokesperson for Origin Housing said: “We understand the concern that the flooding has caused to our residents at Kent House.

Our team did try to fix the issue over the weekend after it was reported on Friday but were unable to do so.

“On Tuesday, our team attended the site again and cleared the drains. Unfor­tunately, the flooding returned so we have continued to work on identifying and dealing with the blockage and taking urgent steps to make the area safe for our residents. We have now resolved the blockage and completed an environ­mental clean of all affected areas to ensure they are safe and hygienic.

“We acknowledge, and we apologise to our residents, that it has taken us longer than it should to deal with this problem and we will be investigating why this happened.”