Squatters and vandals making life on condemned estate even worse

Homes have been damaged on the estate in London making life a misery for those living there (Picture: SWNS)

People living on a condemned housing estate say their misery has been made worse by squatters and vandals.

Just 30 residents remain in the near-derelict Aylesbury Estate, which once had 2,700 homes but is now awaiting demolition.

The few front doors that remain are a stark reminder of the once-thriving estate in Walworth, south London, where the council has welded large metal slabs across almost every flat.

Aysen Dennis, 64, whose block will be the next to go, accused Southwark Council of neglecting flat repairs as part of the estate’s ‘managed decline’ in preparation for its redevelopment.

Ms Dennis spent three years without heating in her two bedrooms and living room.

Aysen Dennis is one of only 30 people living on the estate(Credits: SWNS)

Those that are left are refusing to leave their homes (Picture: SWNS)

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Squatters and vandals have smashed windows on the estate(Picture: SWNS)

She was flooded when a pipe burst in the empty flat above her.

‘It’s normal, this quietness, this sadness. None of my neighbours is willing to move out because no one can afford to buy anything around here.

‘This has affected elderly people, especially, and people’s mental health,’ she said.

Campaigner Ms Dennis has turned her flat into an exhibition showcasing the community’s resistance, documenting the lives of those who have lived here. ‘It’s such a special place,’ she said.

Brunla Isaku, 29, feels scared after an upsurge in police patrols amid reports of high levels of crime.

The conditions have got worse on the estate(Picture: SWNS)

Southwark Council have been accused of neglecting the homes of those who are left on the estate(Picture: SWNS)

Ms Isaku, who has a six-year-old daughter, said: ‘Life here is not great, to be honest. I think it’s not very safe, people screaming, shouting. But I have no idea of where I’ll be moved to.’

Another tenant said police had to board up the window of his flat, where he lives with his elderly parents, after vandals smashed it.

‘My parents are scared,’ said the 25-year-old, who did not wish to be named.

‘People smashed the window and tried to unlock the door from the inside. We were inside so they ran away.’

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