Residents of a London estate made famous by a popular TV show have revealed that it is 'falling to pieces' - as their kids are forced to walk past drug users in the stairwells.
Sam Brand, 43, lives in Pinnace House on Samuda Estate and says TV show Top Boy depicts nothing of the reality that she lives in.
Built in 1967, the Samuda Estate on the Isle of Dogs, East London, comprises of nine different housing developments from four and six-storey blocks to a 25-storey tower, Kelson House, report My London.
But living there is further from the truth than the Summerhouse Estate that was portrayed on Top Boy, with Sam saying that the show "glamorised" poverty and made it look desirable.
She says the real issues of the people living there are being forgotten by their housing association.
Sam has been living on the estate since she was a teenager, and says that once it was a buzzing area with a community feel.
But as the Isle of Dogs developed and Canary Wharf exploded onto the scene, disrepair followed.
The 43-year-old said: "I've lived here since I was 18.
"There are constant issues with the block; dampness, the intercom never working, drugs on the stairs - you raise job after job and nothing is done. This isn't a nice estate sadly and it's falling to pieces. My kids have known what drugs were since the age of five because they saw people on the stairs doing drugs as they walked up.
"There used to be a massive community here back in the day but as things have closed down, we've been neglected. They filmed Top Boy here and made it look like a ghetto, blowing up cars and graffiti everywhere. I know people are watching and thinking who would live on such an estate - we do. We pay rent and council tax, for this, why?"
She continued to say that she is now fearful about living in the area, saying that she is worried for her kids' safety, saying: "You're scared to let your kids out but you can't keep them in and make them a recluse. There's nothing for the kids around here, no youth centres for them to go to and I'm always worried. You get no help from the police.
"A lot of people just come home, shut their doors and that's it. This a multi-cultural estate but people don't mix. I'm scared for my kids growing up and I want to protect them."
Veronica Tarling, 58 - who has lived in Pinnace House on Samuda Estate for 28 years - says that she has seen the fancy hi-rises increasingly dominate the skyline around her home, while her estate continues to be riddled with problems.
The 58-year-old said: "When I first moved in, I was buzzing because this was my own property and it seemed like the Isle of Dogs was on the up but then things just got worse.
"Our windows in the block were condemned years ago but they've never been repaired or replaced. There are always issues. When it rains, my house starts leaking. I've got damp in my bathroom as the vent doesn't work properly and it's so depressing. My house is not a home anymore. Why am I paying all this money to live like this? They [One Housing] are running this place down."
She continued to say that it is evident that the government is focusing their money on building new developments.
Veronica said: "You've got a lift one end out of order, people p*ss in it, cleaners don't come round on the weekend, rubbish is left for days, I'm sick and tired of this. They're building all these new properties but they don't want to give it to residents like me? You have people on the stairs doing drugs, why are people not doing their jobs to make this place better?
"All that money is put into Canary Wharf, I can see it from my window. Yet, this estate is being run down. Isle of Dogs used to be a place everyone wanted to come to but now I can't wait to get out of here."
For residents, seeing the wealth 10 minutes away in Canary Wharf, while their homes endure neglect and disrepair, makes it all the more galling.
Aminur Rahman also acknowledged the neglect of the East London estate.
He said that he has been left divided about Samuda Estate, as there are parts of the area that he likes while there are areas that fail to please him.
Aminur said: "I actually love this estate. I would say the main problem is drug taking - you feel scared to go down the stairs because you can see some boys taking drugs there. Apart from that, I actually like it. You have parking, a shopping centre is near which is rare. However, One Housing should be doing more.
"Sometimes, it can take two weeks for a cleaner to come and then you're forced to do it yourself. I have to clean my own landing but we pay council tax and rent for this, so why do we have to do it? People know me on the estate and I try to help everyone."
Meanwhile another resident, who goes by Sharky, says he has lived in different parts of London since he moved to the city 16 years ago but has now lived at Kelson House for seven years.
Sharky said: "I do like it here, as an area, location-wise, it's good. A great school nearby and great road links. However, Kelson House itself isn't. We are in 2022 and nobody has a running shower. This is E14, Isle of Dogs, it's up and coming yet we've got no running water.
"The building conditions are the biggest issues and they [One Housing] need to address it and fix things. They are usually not too bad when it comes to responding but it's being at the mercy of them which is the worry."
Speaking about the issues, a spokesperson for One Housing said: "We always take residents' concerns very seriously and we are disappointed to hear some residents are not happy with our service. We urge residents to get in contact with us so we can rectify the specific issues raised.
"Without knowing the complaint reference, we can't go into specific detail, but we do have a regular cleaning and caretaking schedule. We have had feedback about the urination issue and when this has been reported to us we deployed cleaners right away who attended and cleaned the site.
"We are working with the police and our community safety team to identify the perpetrators. We would encourage residents who have any information about this to please contact us or the police.
"On lifts, we are aware of an issue reported this weekend with the lifts at Kelson House. Unfortunately, it was discovered that the lift doors had been vandalised. One lift was repaired and back in working order on the same day, while the other lift needed specific parts to repair it."
They added: "Our contractor will be back to replace the door and we are hopeful that the other lift will be working by the end of the week. Our staff based onsite have been supporting vulnerable residents since the lift has been out of service, this has included well-being checks and bringing shopping to their homes.
"We are aware of a report of no heating or hot water last week, but this was restored the same day. We are always concerned to hear of reports of damp and mould, and we take these issues raised very seriously.
"At Pinnace House we have identified that the ventilation system needs to be replaced and surveys are being undertaken. In the meantime, and [as] a precautionary measure, residents have been offered damp and mould washes and advice to support them to reduce condensation in their homes until the upgraded ventilation system is fitted. Finally, we are committed to meeting our services standards and working in partnership with residents to further improve services."
