Blood-smeared walls, drugs and condoms at Hillfields horror flats force 91-year-old to flee home

[dutchman]

Ken Martin is tormented by drug users ringing the buzzer on his flat at 3am



Blood-smeared walls, drug paraphernalia and condoms litter horror flats in Hillfields - while drug users buzz the doorbells of residents in the early hours.

These pictures show the digusting scenes at sheltered accommodation in Coronation Road, which is specifically for over-50s to live in.

But drug users have begun to congregate at the flats, managed by social housing provider, Stonewater Housing, with syringe wrappers and broken beer cans littering communal areas.

Now a 91-year-old great grandad has been forced to move out of his flat of 30 years because of the “squalid living conditions”.

Ken Martin’s life has been made “hell”, his granddaughter said, by people buzzing the widower’s flat at 3am and the use of drugs in the communal areas.

Laura Martin said: “It all started in October when my grandad was telling me about people buzzing his flat during the early hours of the morning.

“Young adults aged 25-30 would be buzzing him to get into other flats to use drugs, and the communal areas are disgusting.

“There are drugs, syringe wrappers, condom wrappers and blood stains all over the floor and up the walls of the hallways.

“My grandad has eight great-grandchildren who can’t even go and see him because it just isn’t safe.

“In November I phoned Stonewater Housing, and they did remove the condom wrappers, but it doesn’t solve the long-term problem.

“He isn’t in great health as it is, he had to have a leg amputated a few years ago, and is in and out of hospital.

“He can’t live in a place like this.”

Laura said that when she has gone round to see her grandad, people have buzzed Ken’s flat and been threatening towards him.

She added: “I’ve been round before with my dad and uncle, and people have been buzzing the flat, swearing down the speaker to let them in, and been really horrible.

“He’s been forced to leave now, yet asked to pay a month’s worth of rent at £500, plus the living costs for his new flat.

“He is currently in hospital but at least he has somewhere else to when he gets out that won’t be rife with drugs.”

Stonewater Housing was contacted for comment.

[dutchman]

Housing association agrees to waive £500 fee after pensioner flees "squalid" flat


Ken Martin with two year old great-grandaughter Rebecca

An elderly man who was forced to pay a month’s rent when he left his “squalid” flat has been told he no longer has to pay after the Telegraph stepped in.

Ken Martin, aged 91, recently left his Hillfields flat claiming there was blood-smeared walls and communal areas where littered with drug paraphernalia and condom wrappers

The sheltered accommodation in Coronation Road, which is specifically for over-50s, is managed by social housing provider, Stonewater Housing.

They said that if Ken wanted to leave he would have to pay them £500.

Now Stonewater have said they have waived the notice period fee due to Mr Martin’s ‘individual circumstances’.

A spokesman from Stonewater housing said: “We are working closely with West Midlands Police and the local authority to tackle this situation head on.

“The wellbeing of all our residents is of the utmost importance to us and we are saddened that Mr Martin has decided to leave his home due to significant anti-social behaviour in the area, not isolated to our homes in Coronation Road.

“We have been in touch with Mr Martin’s granddaughter and have waived the notice period fee due to the individual circumstances of this situation.

“We take issues of anti-social behaviour very seriously and work hard to keep our communities safe.”

Ken has now found a new home to live in when he comes out of hospital, and his family are delighted now he doesn’t have to stress about finding a further £500.

[Melisandre]

Glad to hear Stonewater has waved the £500.00 in my opinion Stonewater should of found him alternative housing as they seem to like to house people that create trouble for other tenants.