Misery for Mildmayes residents after waste pipes vandalised (From Basildon Recorder)

Misery for Mildmayes residents after waste pipes vandalised

5:40pm Friday 13th November 2009

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DISGUSTED residents had to put up with raw sewage in their bathrooms for three weeks.

Toilets and baths in a row of houses in Mildmayes, Langdon Hills, started overflowing on October 20.

The sewage pipes, linking the homes, were not repaired until yesterday.

The homes are situated on top of an underground car park, which has been shut to residents for years because of problems with vandals.

However, the yobs forced open the bolted car park gates and have started several fires recently.

Engineers from Public Sewer Services, who carried out repair work yesterday, think the fires probably caused the blockages.

Maria Garbould, 46, said: “I must have complained about it ten to 12 times since we first started having problems on October 20.

“I was told by Swan Housing they can’t do anything because the pipe affected belongs to the council. Then we were given a portable toilet to use, which was disgusting.

“The sewage has ruined my bathroom, hall and carpets where it overflowed from the toilet.”

Alice Hogan, 85, who bought her home in Mildmayes from Basildon Council, said: “This started before I went into hospital for a week, but the problems with the sewage were still there when I came out. It’s terrible.”

Her daughter Linda Cain, 62, said: “We’ve been sent from pillar to post trying to get someone to fix it. Everyone denied responsibility for the sewage pipes.

“The sewage has also been leaking on to the car park floor.

“It’s disgusting, and I’m worried about infection and disease.”

An engineer who repaired the sewage system, but asked not to be identified, said: “What we think is kids have been starting fires in the car park, which bent and damaged the metal sewage pipes. Live electricity cables are also hanging down on to the car park floor. It’s very dangerous down there.”

Paul Hebden, spokesman for Swan Housing, said: “We take instances of sewage leakage seriously and have been working closely with the resident to get the situation resolved.”

Joanne Medhurst, spokeswoman for St George’s Community Housing, which manages Basildon Council’s housing on its behalf, said: “The antisocial behaviour in the car park is an ongoing problem, and our community wardens are on regular patrol in the area to monitor the situation.”

She denied St George’s had received any complaints about sewage problems, but said: “We have informed our contractor of the problem, who will be visiting the site to assess the situation.”

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