The body of a woman was found on a Borough estate last week after a family living below raised the alarm.
The shocking discovery at Tabard Gardens Estate came after nearly a year of complaints to the council over leaks people thought were coming from the woman’s flat.
There are also fears that she may have lain dead for weeks if not months.
Police have confirmed that a woman’s body was found at the Newcomen Street flat on Friday, January 6.
Speculation over how long the woman had lain dead has been rife on the estate, with neighbours so far saying the most recent sighting was last summer. Police are yet to confirm the last sighting.
Father-of-two Jeffrey Boachie-Frimpong, 35, who lives below the woman’s flat, said he first raised the alarm on March 6, 2022, when he discovered her living in a “swamp”.
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He had knocked on her door to find the source of a leak pouring from his ceiling and was “gobsmacked” by the woman’s living conditions.
Pictures he took show a thick layer of scummy water covering her kitchen floor.
“I was greeted by a lady who was extremely distraught and explained her leak had been ongoing for many months previously… she was living in what seemed to be a dirty swamp,” Jeffrey said.
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She reportedly told him she had told the council about the leak but they hadn’t repaired it.
Jeffrey’s wife, who did not wish to be named, said: “We immediately called the council to make the first complaint and advocate for this tenant. We explained how bad it was and that this needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, not to mention that this poor woman should be rehoused.
“We continued complaining for the course of eleven months. Each time we were told, ‘if you can’t get through to her, how will we?’ and that ‘we need a court order, you can’t just force entry’.”
When leaks restarted on January 6, 2023, this time into his light fixtures, blowing the electrics, Jeffrey urged the council to take action.
An emergency housing officer forced entry into the flat above, struggling to open the door because of a pile of letters that had gathered up. He discovered a woman lying in the bathroom.
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Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said her partner had helped the woman break into her own flat when she was locked out around summer.
She said she had later grown concerned by “loads of flies” gathering on her window sill and “almost called the council”.
Jeffrey says the council fixed the leak this week on Tuesday, January 10, ten months after it was first reported.
Councillor Darren Merrill, cabinet member for council homes and homelessness, said: “I am incredibly saddened that a woman has been found dead in one of our council properties, and extend my heartfelt condolences to her family and friends. We are supporting the police in establishing the exact circumstances, and thoroughly checking all records the council holds in relation to this property and the tenant. I know this is an extremely upsetting situation for people living in the block, and I want to reassure them that we will offer as much support as we can.”
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