A vulnerable Bermondsey man has complained of feeling “unsafe” after several leaks into his council flat from the empty privately-owned property above.
Tony White, who lives in New Place Square near Jamaica Road, was out earlier this month when he received a call to tell him that the fire brigade had been forced to break into his flat because of a leak from the flat immediately above him.
A stop valve in the property above, which is a leasehold flat currently lying empty, had started leaking in the early hours of the morning. A council electrician also came to make Tony’s flat safe. Video taken in the aftermath of the incident shows his flat is semi-flooded, with many belongings and items of clothing soaked through with water.
Tony said similar floods had happened many times over the eight years he has lived in the property.
“It’s got to the stage where I can’t put up with it no more, I feel unsafe,” he said. “I’ve lived here since 2013 and there’s always stuff going on above me – and there are often leaks coming through.
“It’s going to happen again, I don’t know where else to turn. To leave my property like that with valuable stuff in it, my belongings – it’s just not right.”
Tony is dyslexic and has anxiety. He said he finds it difficult to fill in forms and speak on the phone – meaning dealing with administrative issues presents a severe challenge and he relies on a close friend to help him. He has been staying with his friend after the flood.
Southwark Council said that the mains water supply to the property above was isolated and the matter is “with our leasehold management team to resolve.”
A spokesperson for the council added that there had been an issue with leaking radiators in the property above before, so this has now been escalated to the local authority’s engineering services. The council is also carrying out a technical inspection of Tony’s flat in the meantime.