ANGRY and upset residents living on a Cirencester housing estate have spoken out about the squalor and filth that are forced to live in on a daily basis.

Tenants at Leaholme Court in Cirencester explained that conditions have reached an all time low after it was reported that a homeless person had moved into the stairwell and was using it as a public lavatory.

“The front door hasn’t been fixed so anybody just walks in,” said one Leaholme resident who chose not to be identified.

“It’s just really irritating. There’s no security at the complex at all and now the whole place reeks of stale urine.”

There have also been massive complaints relating to fellow residents using the building as a refuse site.

The Standard’s source at Leaholme Court said: “If anybody wants to get rid of anything, they just leave it on the stairs and in the walkways.”

“There’s been all sorts just left out – mouldy rubbish, mattresses, fridges, freezers and bed bases.”

Residents from Leaholme Court have hit out at the Bromford Group, which runs the property, saying its not doing enough to tackle the problems.

“The biggest problem is Bromford. We contact them and all they say is that they know about the issue and are working on it.”

A spokesman for Bromford said: “We are working hard to address the issue of rubbish and fly-tipping at Leaholme Court and reduce the number of anti-social behaviour incidents.

“Whilst we have had some success identifying the culprits, we ask residents to help by reporting those who continue to make the area unsightly or foul the stairwells.”

The situation at Leaholme has also attracted attention from members of Cirencester Town Council.

Cllr Shane Poole (Watermoor, Lib Dem) said: “My opinion on the housing at Leaholme Court is that it’s absolutely revolting and I know that it’s been like that for months.”

Cllr Poole told the Standard that a complaint was made to Bromford regarding the state of the building over nine weeks ago and that no action had yet been taken.

He said: “The fact it took so long shows that Bromford isn’t doing enough.”

Another Leaholme Court resident, who chose to remain anonymous, said: "The flats would be nice if the people in them looked after them.

"It's definitely just a small minority of people living here who are leaving their rubbish around."

A Bromford spokesman said: “We have asked our contractors to pay extra attention to the communal areas and will continue to monitor the situation and carry out regular inspections.

“However, we urge customers to monitor communal areas and report any suspicious activity to their housing manager.”