Kingsbury tenants are plagued with rats ‘as big of kittens’

They may be living on a street with the same name as an axed gloomy soap drama, but for a group of residents the misery they are suffering is for real.

Tenants in Brookside Close, Kingsbury, claim Brent Housing Partnership has ignored their pleas to tackle a troubled neighbour who hoards junk inside and outside his home.

They told the Times their lives have become unbearable and their homes have become a breeding ground for rats ‘as big as kittens’ because of the rubbish stored inside and outside the property rented by the disabled man.

They claim that despite making a string of complaints to BHP, a housing group which manages homes owned by Brent Council, nothing has been done for the past three years.

The rancid eyesore includes bottles of urine, mouldy mattresses, rotting food containers and even a rusting concrete mixer.

Derek Chaperlin, 66, became so fed up with the unsightly mess that he organised a petition which was signed by residents and delivered to BHP.

He said: “They (BHP) have nothing, nothing at all. They have come down here taken photos and no action has been taken.

“We can’t understand why this is being ignored. The man needs help and shouldn’t be living here.”

Jasedrina Dadhi, 67, a widower who has lived on the close for 20 years echoed Mr Chaperlin, she said: “They (BHP) will come down take pictures and nothing happens. Even the council wardens have reported it.

“This can’t go on.”

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I have seen the rats and they are the size of kittens.

“BHP must be breaching our human rights by ignoring this.”

Cllr Reg Colwill, a Conservative councillor for Kenton, has vowed to fight on behalf of the tenants who live in his ward.

He said: “It’s unacceptable for nothing to happen given the amount of hoarding and the number of times it has been reported by ward councillors and residents.

“How can BHP leave people to live in these conditions in this day and age? I am calling for an investigation into why the rubbish hasn’t been cleared, for the sake of all the residents’ health including the disabled tenant.”

A BHP spokesman said: “This is a complex case. We have been working with the tenant and a range of agencies in order to resolve this issue.”