Residents of a building with cracks so big they can see through them say they are "living in fear" of a collapse.
Huge gaps in the walls started appearing at the block of 36 flats in Ealing, West London over the past few months, but occupiers said they've been battling issues such as damp, mould, leaks, and hairline cracks for years.
The residents, mostly made up of tenants but also including 12 leaseholders, are fed up with their housing association for sending a maintenance surveyor who "fobs them off" and doesn't return calls.
Michael Brady, 58, has been living in a downstairs flat since January while waiting for repair work to be completed, reports My London.
The disabled resident is supposed to have a walk-in shower, but has been unable to wash properly in months, after initially being told the works would apparently take six to eight weeks.
Cracks have now started appearing in his temporary flat now, too.
He said: "I’ve been decanted into this flat, and I’ve been chucked into another world of mould and cracks and c***.
"You can follow the cracks on the outside and inside. The brickwork moves, you can grab it and pull it like that."
Michael added: "All everybody wants is a nice home. You feel ashamed to have people round, you feel like it reflects on you personally. But we’ve got a housing association that just will not listen."
He said residents sent a collective letter to the CEO of the housing association, Catalyst, in 2020, but only one of them heard back.
Adam Hamden, 58, said cracks appeared on every wall in his downstairs flat, and that one is so wide he can see from the bedroom through to the kitchen.
While fitting his hand into the wall, he said: "This is how big the crack is, I can easily fit my fingers in."
While indicating a large chunk of rubble on his bedroom floor, he added: "This piece just fell out this morning."
Adam said he first started spotting hairline cracks in his home in 2018, but the larger gaps only started appearing in the last fortnight.
He said: "My biggest worry now, and everyone’s is, is a gas leak, because there is pressure going under the pipes. Or a flood in the night."
Lejla Imeri, 38, her 50-year-old husband Sherif and their two children are now living in temporary emergency accommodation several miles away after complaining to the local council.
She said: "The building is moving. Five years ago we saw cracks, but what happened now... it just happened like this [snaps fingers]. It’s not safe at all."
And 90-year-old Ruth Fitzgerald - who lives alone and has noticed cracks in her walls - claimed she was put on hold to Catalyst for 45 minutes, then still struggled to pin them down.
She said: "I spoke to a young woman and told her what happened she said they’d make it a priority to come and do the repairs. No one came."
Catalyst confirmed the sink has now been fixed. A spokesperson for the housing association said: "We apologise to the residents of Hanger View Way and will be sending a senior repairs inspector to visit the building over the coming few days.
"He will be speaking with our customers and addressing each of their concerns individually, before deciding on the best course of action.
"We have completed the repairs in Mr Brady’s home and are arranging a suitable time for him to move back over the next couple of weeks.
"Our insurers inspected the building in September and have removed some vegetation they suspected was contributing to the problem.
"They continue to monitor the building and we are due to receive an update in the coming days."
