Life on UK’s ‘lawless’ council estate where residents live in squalor and fear

  • Bookmark
  • Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to the Daily Star’s newsletter

    We have more newsletters

    Drug deals, aggressive youths and fears about leaving the house has seen residents living on the UK's lawless council estate utterly terrified.

    Living in squalor and fear, residents of a Swansea council estate have since spoken about the horrific conditions they find themselves in, with Heol Gwyrosydd in Penlan housing some horrific sights.

    Residents have accused the council and police of neglect as their estate has fallen into squalor and drug deals are rife.

    READ MORE: Mum with 'royal links' gave birth on motorway and left placenta in burning car

    Many residents are fearful for their safety, with one man hiding a giant kitchen knife above his door in case he needs to protect himself.

    The five blocks of flats on the estate, WalesOnline reported, were covered in animal faeces, lacked a front door and were completely damp-ridden in a grim series of living conditions.

    One resident, Shauna Underhill, 29, has lived in the building for six years and said: "We are treated like third-class citizens. Every time I open the door I am scared.

    "Crack is a big issue. Within a mile-and-a-half radius there are three dealers, maybe four. A lot of robbing goes on."

    Her 55-year-old dad David, who suffers from a spinal issue and needs a wheelchair, had been there nine years despite him warning the council "time and time" again that the block is not suitable due to his disability.

    Council homes on the streets near to Heol Gwyrosydd, Tudno Place and Heol Emrys, are set to be redeveloped through a new council scheme, but residents of Underhill's building do not fall under said scheme.

    • Prince Harry 'shot himself in foot' with 'hatchet job memoir' as he becomes UK 'pariah'

    Pools of water and "sealy" bags that once contained drugs were all spotted in the squalor-clad housing.

    Mould was seen to be covering the walls of Underhill's home, with the 26-year-old adding: "Two or three years ago my father phoned the council about the damp. They came last week. We had almost forgotten we'd called."

    Despite asking the worker at the time if the leaky pipe could be sorted, it would appear that the "root of the issue" is still lingering for Underhill and her family.

    Weird sightings were frequent in the dilapidated flats, including a deck chair left next to a discarded hot tub and a singular potato left on the dirt-covered landing.

    Such sightings have become such a problem that Shauna believes "a warden" should be patrolling the block of flats.

    She said: "Someone needs to be coming round checking on these flats. We need a warden. Recently there was a dog that kept peeing outside our door and after a while it was smelling really bad.

    "My father phoned the council up and they came four weeks later. My dad and I do our best to keep the building tidy ourselves. We have to live among it."

    Not only was there a dog peeing out of their door for some time, Underhill also reported spotting several used dog poo bags on one floor and animal droppings on another.

    Rubbish, stains and drugs were also a major issue for those living in the area, with 18 to 21-year-old's allegedly hanging around smoking crack cocaine on the estate and asking: "Are you after anything?".

    • 'Foolish' prison nurse who sent 7,000 texts to sex attacker inmate jets off to Australia

    Even after a horrifying incident where Shauna was approached by a man and allegedly attacked for her gold chain, given to her by her mother, little has been done for the area.

    She reported the incident to the police at the time of the disturbing incident but she claims no arrest was made and that it is rare for officers to be spotted in the area.

    Shauna has since praised one member of the estate for cleaning the communal area, adding: "If it wasn't for him the place would be stinking. I can never get hold of the council. I get put on hold or I get told to ring back."

    A spokesperson for the council reiterated that £550million had been invested into improving "the standard of and quality of 13,600 council homes in our city which have included the blocks at Heol Gwyrosydd".

    For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.

    READ NEXT:

    • Bow tie teacher branded student, 13, a 'wh***' in disgusting Whatsapp messages
    • Brit 'Hitler lookalike' behind far right plot to hijack protest and stoke racial hatred
    • Brit beauty queen, 21, rushed to hospital after breaking neck in horror motorway crash
    • Mum mowed down with her baby says 'justice delivered' after teen driver shot dead
    • Astronaut Buzz Aldrin weds much younger girlfriend on his 93rd birthday
    • Drugs
    • Property
    • Jobs
    • Police

    Source: Read Full Article