Drug taking and vandalism rampant at modern block of flats owned by housing association, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Hammond Court and (insets) nitrous oxide canisters and the broken security system

An Edmonton resident says antisocial behaviour including drug use and vandalism in his block have been a “huge problem” for years but “nothing has been done”.

The resident of Hammond Court, a modern block near North Middlesex Hospital and owned by Newlon Housing Trust, said groups of teenagers and young adults gather late in the evening outside the building’s entrance and often “force” entry.

He said: “Outsiders – they have no connection to Hammond Court – they keep forcing entry into the block and causing a lot of nonsense.

“We had drug-dealing – they’re using the stairway because they’re nice and quiet. Teenagers, students; they sit, smoke weed, deal drugs. They force entry by damaging the panels, they punch them or kick them.”

The resident, who did not wish to be named, frequently finds drug paraphernalia in the hallways, particularly nitrous oxide canisters, and said he’d reported the damaged security system to landlord Newlon several times, but nothing had been done.

He also said he’d called the police several times in hopes of getting support but due to “no response” from Newlon, progress was slow.

In particular, the Hammond Court resident said the last six months had seen an increase in incidents, which have persisted for three years, and some of his neighbours are fearful of coming home late in the evening.

In response, a Newlon spokesperson said: “We have a cleaning team onsite each morning from Monday-Friday and the blocks are also separately inspected on a weekly basis, so any issues with littering in communal areas should be quickly cleared up and dealt with.

“There is also a weekly health and safety inspection.

“We are aware of some recent instances when people have been able to gain access to blocks by damaging the intercom. We are actively liaising with the police to review this issue and with the intercom provider about the best solution to resolve this. This could include changes to the current system or providing additional security to make the block intercoms more difficult to tamper with.

“We always aim to deal with issues relating to antisocial behaviour quickly and effectively. We have responded to residents’ enquiries when they have contacted us and we are working with the police to assess issues locally.”

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