FAMILIES living in a block of flats “from hell” have called on the council to fix their homes - ten years after their story first featured in the Guardian.

Council leaseholders and tenants at Copford Close in Woodford Bridge say their block is blighted by rats, litter, crumbling walls and a lack of facilities because of years of under-investment and neglect from the authority, with their problems "even worse" a decade after this paper first reported them.

Redbridge Homes, who maintain the council's housing stock, have acknowledged works are needed to the building but say a recent inspection of the block found living conditions to be "acceptable".

But resident Cathy Johns, 68, said: “It’s a disgrace. We pay a massive service bill every year, but there’s no lights, there’s no lids on the dustbins, and the facilities for disabled people are so inadequate.

“You call the council up about it but they’re just rude and abrupt. We need the council to recognise us as people - but we’re living like animals.”

Neighbour Carol Thompson, 42, said: “most repairs are not getting done and the repairs they have done are substandard.

“Rubbish piles up - there’s just four bins for 28 flats and they’re only emptied once a week. We have cockroaches and rats running around - it’s disgusting.

“It’s like they’ve forgotten about us. We’re not on a main road and no-one seems to know we’re here.”

When the Guardian reported residents' outrage in May 1999, the block had no fire exit or fire alarms and residents complained of mountains of litter. One even said he had been bitten by a rat.

But a spokesperson for Redbridge Homes said: "Like all estates that are managed by Redbridge Homes, Copford Close has regular Estate Inspections.

"The dates for the inspections are advertised in our residents' newsletter, Redbridge Homes News, and on the estate noticeboards.

"All tenants and leaseholders are encouraged to join the inspection. The estates are judged to be either: above standard, acceptable, or below standard. On the last inspection in January, Copford Close was judged to be at an acceptable standard in all areas.

"On checking our records, we have received no complaints from residents of Copford Close regarding an infestation of rats or cockroaches. Our caretakers who clean the estate have reported no evidence either.

"A visit to the estate this morning highlighted that there are some works required on the estate and this has been planned for in next year's cyclical works. We have also some work planned under our major works budget for 2009/10."

He added: "As always we encourage our residents, where they feel they have issues, to come to us and our housing officers will visit the estates with them to discuss any problems."