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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Carla Jenkins

Glasgow mum with disabled child 'fears for safety' as teenage thugs set fires in close

A desperate young Glasgow mum says she feels 'unsafe living in a damp flat blighted by anti-social thugs.

Amie Logan, 25, has lived with her disabled young son in the Thornliebank flat for almost 8 years.

Now the full-time student, carer and part-time worker, has appealed to Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) to sort out the problems in her home or find her a new home.

The association insists it's trying to help Amie resolve the problems, but they need to inspect the property first, and have been unable to get access.

The 25-year-old's says her problems started soon after she moved in just around the corner from her mum, just six months after applying for a flat.

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As well as the damp, Amie says the flat floods regularly and is blighted by anti-social behaviour from nearby youths, who have kicked in the security door, set fire to things inside the close and use her ground floor balcony to scale the outside of the building.

She told Glasgow Live: "I slowly started noticing problems after I signed for the keys. There was damage to window sills and window frames they had promised to have fixed for me moving in, which they never fixed and are still broken which wasn't ideal.

"I noticed small problems like I had decorated, and the wallpaper peeling off the walls from dampness. After a little, I noticed the property had been drywalled and the housing had failed to mention that it the house had had dampness - they just painted over it. There was no mention at all.

"I contacted GHA and explained that the house was damp. They weren’t surprised when I contacted and knew it was regularly flooded from neighbours above. GHA don’t take much responsibility for it.

"I did manage to get higher staff members emails and tried to discuss with them but I was fobbed off and they no longer reply."

Aimee says GHA offered to paint over flooding marks on her ceiling, but tradesmen have shown up when she's at work or college and there has been no communication, despite trying to make suitable arrangements.

Amie added: "People have come out to look at it, they arrange repairs and the repairs are that they will paint the ceiling and bathroom to cover up the marks from flooding.

"The last time I was offered a repair I refused it because there was no point. It's a regular occurrence, it would just be a regular repainting over the top of it. It wouldn't be finding the cause of the flooding which eventually turned out it was something silly and easy to find.

"They've arranged the painting a number of times and I’ve already explained to them that that is not what I want. I've already spent a lot of money on the property and want the issues resolved before I spend more.

"Any repairs that have been arranged - I’ve explained that I'm at work and college and they need to arrange a day with me so I can get time off, but they just show up at the property at random days when I'm not in then say they couldn't get me. That's happened about three or four times now.

"Any repairs that have been arranged - I’ve explained that i'm at work and college and they need to arrange a day with me so I can get time off, but they just show up at the property at random days when I'm not in then say they couldn't get me. That's happened about three or four times now.

"I’ve even tried to rearrange appointments with them when I have known about the appointments and people have shown up when I'm not in and they’ve never rearranged them."

Amie says that it's got to the point that she doesn't want to be in the flat at all, and fears for her safety.

Amie said: "I hate it. I hate being here, to the point I don't want to come home from work or college because you know what you’re going to be landed with.

"You just don't want to be here. It's not the dampness, it’s the youths hanging round, it's not a nice area and I often fear for my safety here. It's not ideal having a child who has a loads of needs and is scared a lot of the time. It's not nice."

Amie says it started with youths hanging around in the close, who then kicked in a security door, that GHA says as now been repaired.

She added: "It started with youths hanging around the close area and kicking in the security door we have which is now broken. We don’t have a secure security door.

"They were setting fire to things in close, burning window sills in the close with lighters, in general playing loud music within communal area.

"They didn't live here. It was horrible. They're climbing balconies form mine which is on the ground floor to the floor above."

Police Scotland confirmed to Glasgow Live that officers have been to the property and issued advice and assistance.

Amy added: "It is crazy around here. I'm just looking to move now. I’ve spoken to GHA and they’ve already said to me it would be easier to move than for them to deal with the problems."

A GHA spokesman said: “We’re in regular contact with the tenant and are doing everything we can to help the family.

“We’ve already carried out repairs to fix these issues, but we need to fully inspect the flat to see if further work is needed. We arranged this with the tenant but unfortunately they were unavailable on the date of inspection and we couldn’t get access. We’ll continue to speak with the tenant to find a suitable date and time.

“Any reports of anti-social behaviour are taken very seriously. We have fully investigated all of these claims and taken appropriate action.

“The tenant has priority status with us for a move, but there’s very high demand for the type of home they need and in the areas they’re looking to move in to. We’re continuing to do all we can to help them find a home that suits their needs, including putting them in touch with other social landlords.”

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