People living in a landmark development have called for action to address widespread structural problems and mould, amid claims the flats have become an unsafe place to live.

Residents are angry about the condition of flats in Queen Mary Avenue, South Woodford, which are five years old and were built by developer Telford Homes.

They have been joined by MP Iain Duncan Smith in criticising Circle 33, claiming the housing association is not maintaining the estate and putting residents at risk.

At a meeting at St Mary's Church in High Road,  Dika Ndlomingo, 29, of Coral Court, said part of her ceiling has collapsed twice and is worried for her son's safety.

She said: “There are real health and safety issues and it is just not a safe place to live.
"My ceiling has fallen down twice. I am worried for my son who is disabled and debris is all over my living room.

“This should not be left as it is a health and safety issue, and no one responds when we have tried to contact the housing association.”

Azfar Muzaffar, 33, of Blackberry Court, said there is mould in his block and claims repeated attempts to contact Circle 33 have been ignored.

He said: “There is no communication. I have given up now. I do not know where to go, no one seems to be interested in our issues. No one has responded to my emails."

Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan Smith said: “There is not a particularly good record of response from Circle 33 and somebody needs to be logging the concerns of the residents.

“It is ridiculous that people cannot get through, I do not understand why it takes so long to get a response."

“It is Circle 33’s duty to repair the building and maintenance issues need to be dealt with as soon as possible."

A spokeswoman for Circle 33 housing association said: “We understand there is are real issues with the buildings. They are less than five years old so we should not be experiencing this.

"We will conduct a thorough investigation of the site, but this will not be fixed overnight and could take up to a year.

“We admit that our service has not been good enough but we will make sure communication is improved."