'They take crack in the stairwell' - Infuriated residents of Corby flats say their lives are being made a misery by criminal tenants and unsanitary conditions

But now, fed-up residents of the Rockingham Road flats say they can no longer tolerate living there.

They say that crack cocaine addicts are smoking the Class-A drug in stairwells that they are forced to use in the lift-less building.

Piles of rubbish and flytipping pockmark the alleyway at the rear of the building and the scent of urine greets visitors at the communal entrance doors.

Rear balconies – deemed suitable by the council for children’s play areas – are littered with thousands of cigarette butts.

And the North Northamptonshire Council-owned flats have mould and damp problems that residents say they’ve been told are their own issue to sort out.

People living there spoke to the Northants Telegraph about the deterioration of the flats and their concerns for their children.

One woman said that she had seen an attempted murder in the rear alleyway last year, and afterwards men in balaclavas had run up the stairs toward the flats. She showed our reporter videos of groups taking drugs in communal areas.

She said when she had reported incidents in the flats she had been sent a letter and a rape alarm by the anti-social behaviour team.

"I’ve found blood trailed along the balcony that I had to pay someone to come and jet-wash off, she said.

"The front doors get smashed in and people smoke crack in the stairwells.”

She said that she felt she had had no choice but to accept the offer of living at the flats after she lost her job, had no alternative housing and a young child.

"I told them I didn’t feel comfortable coming here as it’s got a reputation and it goes out onto a busy road but they said I would get no further help if I refused it,” she said.

"Within a couple of weeks of moving in I realised how bad it was.

"There were people fighting in the stairwells, blood on the stairs, urine, needles and food chucked all over.

"I’m actually embarrassed to be seen walking out of here. I’ve always worked and never been on benefits.”

She also said there is an issue with black mould in the flat and despite keeping windows open round the clock, it returns every time it is cleaned, and even after it has been treated by the council.

"I know that other people have also experienced mould in these flats but the council insist there’s never been problems before.

"I just want what’s best for my child,” she said.

"I don’t want him to have to walk through crack fumes to get into the flat.”

Another woman told our reporter that she had had enough and had taken to cleaning up the mess herself to avoid her children seeing it.

"This place is in no way suitable for families. For a start, there’s no lift so you’re bringing very young children up and down concrete stairwells and if they fall, they might fall in someone’s wee. It’s impossible with a buggy and a child.

"There’s loud noise at strange hours and sometimes it’s a scary place to be.

"It’s actually intolerable.”

Tenants said they have regularly spoken to the council and the police about the issues but nothing has changed.

After this newspaper contacted the council twice, cleaners arrived at the flats on Friday (February 13) to move some of the fly-tipping at the rear of the block.

Ward councillor Mark Pengelly (Lab, Lloyds) has been advocating on behalf of tenants for many weeks to try to get them some help.

He said: “I’m really pleased the mess has finally been cleaned up in the alleyway.

"These tenants have had so many issues that they shouldn’t have to put up with.”

A North Northamptonshire Council spokesman said: “Our housing team are visiting the site, and will be working with colleagues in environmental health and community safety as appropriate. We will look to reinforce messages about appropriate and considerate behaviour with people using facilities in this location, and will continue to monitor the situation.”