What a dump! Mum Lucy Miller's horror at housing association flat in Herne Bay
Faeces smeared up the
walls and rubbish such as tampon packets and razor blades at a
Herne Bay flat
by Chris Price
These were the horrific scenes awaiting a young mother
shown around a flat to rent in Herne Bay.
Its walls were smeared with faeces and the floors covered in
razor blades, tampon packets and chicken bones – but Orbit housing
group still pitched the property to stunned 21-year-old Lucy
Miller.
She could only manage 10 minutes in the ground floor flat in
Barnes Way, Hillborough, before she and her mother could not stand
being there any longer.
Miss Miller took these shocking pictures on her mobile
phone.
Rubbish found in a
housing association flat in Herne Bay
"When I went in there were handprints of poo on every wall,"
said Miss Miller, who has been on the council housing list for
three and a half years.
"There had been children living there too. It has really opened
my eyes to what people are like. After 10 minutes, my mother and I
were heaving.
"My mother went to work afterwards but had to go straight to bed
when she got home because it had made her feel so ill. I have not
felt right since either.
"We were on tip toes and holding our trousers up as we were
walking through. There was poo everywhere.
"If I had brought my child with me it could have been very
dangerous."
Blood and faeces smeared
up the walls of a flat shown to Lucy Miller
Miss Miller, who lives in Bishopstone Lane and has a
three-year-old daughter, claims the housing officer appeared
oblivious to the state of the flat, brushing off her
complaints.
She said: "She did not seem to think there was a problem with
the way the property was. She said it had been cleaned up as much
as possible. They said they did not have any more time and just
wanted the rent coming in.
"The manager of the person who took me round the property said I
must have high expectations for turning the property down."
Miss Miller, who works as a carer at the Kimberley Care Home in
Herne Bay, believes Orbit owes her an apology and fast-track
treatment on the housing list.
She said: "I have waited on the housing list for three and a
half years and 
when I
finally got called, I got that. They should help me find somewhere
quicker now."
Orbit South spokesman Zoe Springett said: "When a property
becomes vacant, our usual procedure is to undertake viewings as
soon as our contractors have removed any remaining contents,
including potential hazards, but prior to professional deep
cleaning of the property.
"As work is still under way, potential residents do not see the
finished product at the time of viewing. This process allows us to
re-let properties promptly and make them available to others with a
housing need.
"While the property at Barnes Way had been cleared, on this
occasion it was not in a viewable state and we apologise for any
distress caused to Ms Miller as a result.
"We recognise that on entering the property the viewing should
not have continued and we are reviewing our procedures to improve
the way that viewings are undertaken in the future."
14/02/13
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