A station underpass used daily by hundreds of commuters has become a human toilet, it is claimed.

Alison Playle, of Oak Hill in Woodford Green, endures the stench of excrement on her way to Highams Park station.

She complained two months ago to Greater Anglia, which operates the line between Chingford and Liverpool Street and is responsible for the underpass under the level crossing on Hale End Road.

But nothing has been done.

The 48-year-old mother-of-one, who has lived in the Highams Park area for 43 years, says the underpass has a long history of being neglected.

She said: "The human excrement has been there for two months. It stinks and is utterly disgusting. 

"Anyone who uses the subway would walk past it, but many people would probably not look at it twice. 

"The station is the central focal point, what I consider to be the heart of Highams Park, but it is nothing more than a dingy sewer and a massive toilet."

"Residents of Highams Park are being let down by this, especially now that it is becoming the place-to-be, with a high proportion of families moving in and new businesses opening up."

Ms Playle said Greater Anglia contacted her on October 24 and said a team which inspected the underpass were "horrified at how bad the problem is".

They also are said to have promised "with no hesitation" that deep cleaning would take place - but the walls are still covered with human excrement.   

With the restoration and temporary opening of the station's nearby historic signal box, Ms Playle said it is time there was major overhaul of the underpass.  

Chair of The Highams Park Plan (HPP) Gordon Turpin said the planning group regularly receive negative feedback from people dissatisfied with the poor conditions of the underpass and the group is currently lobbying TfL to make improvements when they take over next year. 

Terry Robinson, 36, of The Avenue in Highams Park said: "It has been neglected over the years and used as a toilet. It is miserable down there and terribly lit. 

Teaching Assistant Allison Neagle, 46, works at Handsworth Primary School in Handsworth Avenue, Highams Park.

The Henry's Avenue resident in Woodford Green said: "For the first time I said to my husband yesterday I would think twice about using it now because of some unsavoury characters I've seen lately and its poor lighting. 

"Underpasses in places Leytonstone are really nicely decorated with artwork but this has always been disgusting and filthy."   

A Greater Anglia spokeswoman said: "We would like to reassure Ms Playle that we have taken steps to clean the underpass today.  

"We will also look at what might be possible to improve the station environment over the next six months before the station transfers to London Overground in May 2015."