Residents living in a housing association development in Hanwell say a front door entrance lock which wasn’t repaired for months has seen drug addicts and rough sleepers coming into their building at all hours and sleeping by their flats.
The main entrance door at Bayeux Court, off Church Road in Hanwell, stopped locking in mid February 2024 and was only repaired yesterday (16 May 2024).
Over the last three months, people have been gaining entry to the building and sleeping directly outside residents own front doors.
Residents say they contacted housing association Karibu Community Homes informing them of their safety concerns but feel they have been ignored.
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, one resident said: “We have had rough sleepers and drug users entering our building since the external door broke in mid February 2024 and despite reporting it on a regular basis, they are ignoring our messages.”
The worried resident also revealed they have had to contact the police. They said: “The local police are aware and supporting as far as they can but we are scared and upset that this continues and Karibu are ignoring a huge safety risk.
“We have emailed Karibu at least weekly since February and requested a call back but no one from Karibu has got back to us. Karibu seem to be ignoring our safety concerns. People have been getting into the building and there have been so many different people sleeping here at different times as word has got around in the local rough sleeping community.”
EALING.NEWS reached out to Karibu. In a statement regarding the situation, a spokesperson said: “Karibu Community Homes acknowledges concerns raised by residents at Bayeux Court regarding a malfunctioning entrance door. The door was initially repaired in March 2024. However, a faulty component necessitated the ordering of a replacement part for a further repair.
“We experienced unforeseen delays from the manufacturer in supplying the replacement part. However, we have been informed by our contractor that the part has now been received and we anticipate the repair to be completed by today (16 May 2024), to fix the door which will ensure our residents’ continued security.
“The safety and well-being of our residents are paramount. We are making every effort to deal with the issue of rough sleepers around the property.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate the residents’ patience whilst the repair is completed.”
