'Slum' tenants live in fear of yob neighbours

The majority of residents in Phoenix Court are demanding action to improve their living conditions at the town centre property.

Eighteen of them signed a petition in one day to tell their landlord, Downland Housing Association, their feelings about the Richmond Road properties.

They claim the 37 flats in two blocks are blighted by regular vandalism. Both glass front doors were kicked in four days apart last week.

The entrance barrier was also smashed for the latest time around the same time and residents claim that the lifts usually get damaged twice a month.

They have additional concerns about the amount of litter which collects outside their flats and the fact that rotting food is left outside. This encourages rats on to the premises.

Peter Mara (59), who lives in a ground floor flat, said: 'These must be the newest slums in Bognor.

'You just can't go to sleep at night because you are scared about what happens. We are living on our nerves.'

Neighbour Doreen Ball (69) said she and her husband, George (75), who moved in during June 2006, were worried about the night-time yobbish behaviour.

'We dread going to bed at night because we don't want to be woken up at 2am or 4am,' she stated. 'It's not the traffic or the people passing by that bother us, it's some of the other people here.'

Mr Mara also blamed most of the problems on a few tenants but stated Downland failed to put the 18 monthly service fee it charged tenants to good use.

One area was being used as a dumping ground. 'It looks like a regular pit, is a glaring health hazard and an epidemic waiting to happen,' he stated. Another area which was never cleaned were the stairs.

He has lived in the flats since they were opened in October 2005. He was a Downland tenant in Longford Road on a short lease.

The chance of having an assured tenancy with the association in Phoenix Court seemed appealing.

But the reality soon became very different. 'We thought we would be better off but we are worse off instead,' he commented.

He has put himself on the waiting lists of 19 housing associations having decided last Christmas to get out. He added: 'We love our flat. I just wish we could take it somewhere else.'

The neighbourhood manager at Downland Housing Association, Karen Sherrington, said on Tuesday: 'Our repairs contractors attended to the damage at Phoenix Court within a week of it being reported and initially boarded up the window to make it secure.

'They returned to re-glaze the front door today.

'In the meantime, we are working with the police and district council to tackle the issues of anti social behaviour.

'Our housing officer is arranging a meeting with both agencies to help identify those causing the damage so that further action can be taken.'