The property in a prime spot in Mornington Terrace

MYSTERY surrounds a £3million “ghost” house owned by Camden Council that has been left empty for nearly a decade.

The Georgian property, in Mornington Terrace, Camden Town, has been unoccupied since at least 2013 and neighbours have regularly contacted the Town Hall to find out why.

The building could make a perfect home for a family on the long waiting list for council housing or converted into flats.

Standing vacant, it has slowly fallen into disrepair with invasive plants growing in brickwork, broken windows, a damaged roof and rotting woodwork.

Neighbours’ complaints seen by the New Journal say the cost of repair will only grow. John Parry, who has lived in the terrace since 1967, said the building was now in such a state of disrepair anyone looking to do it up would face a bill of more than £500,000.

He said: “Homes along the terrace suffer from rising damp in their basements, and you can see from the outside the current state it is in. Everyone would like to see a sensible solution – it can’t just be left empty.”

Other neighbours recall how, four years ago, a group of property guardians moved in for a brief time.

A peek through the door

Due to the poor state of the place, they disappeared as mysteriously and suddenly as they had arrived.

“I have been in frequent contact with Camden about this – and every time they promise work is imminent,” said one.

“I have emails dating back years that all say work is ‘complicated’ but they were getting a scheme together and no one should worry, it would soon be used once more for housing.”

Mr Parry said: “During the war people – those who could – moved out of the terrace as the railway lines attracted the bombers.

After the war, the houses became flats and bedsits. “In more recent years, it’s become very gentrified – completely unaffordable but for the very wealthy.”

A Town Hall spokesman said: “The issue of empty council homes is one that the council takes very seriously, and we are working hard to minimise the time that any council owned property is empty.

“We carried out an initial assessment of this property when it was handed back to the council, by its previous long-standing occupants who were a co-operative, in 2013, which confirmed it had significant structural issues and was not currently safe for new residents.

“We then completed the necessary repairs to make the property safe for interim occupation by guardians for a period of time. We are now concluding our work on the best options for this property.”