ELDERLY residents are begging the council to get rid of the “eye-watering, foul-smelling smoke” coming into their homes from a nearby restaurant. 

Ullswater Court in Glebelands Avenue, South Woodford, is home to around 30 people aged between 85 and 94. 

Most of them live alone and have carers visit several times a day to look after their complex health needs.

For the past four years building manager May Mooney has been trying to convince Redbridge Council to do something about “thick, blue, acrid” smoke that she claims comes billowing towards the flats from George Lane.

She says nearly every evening around 6pm a cloud of smoke emerges from where kebab restaurant Wood Oven is and drifts towards the apartment block.

Mrs Mooney, who has lived on the site since 2004, said: “It’s horrible. It’s comes into my flat and it burns my eyes and my throat.

“A lot of the people living here are housebound and can’t get out. So opening a window is the only fresh air they get, and now they can’t even get that.”

Over the last four years Mrs Mooney has been collecting evidence to prove the extent of the problem on behalf of the residents.

But at a meeting with council officers last week she was told all the emails, photos, and videos she sent have been lost.

She added: “They keep saying there’s not enough evidence, but I’ve sent them loads of evidence and they’ve just gone and lost it all.

“One of the businesses had to sell up and leave it was so bad – it’s very infuriating.”

Resident spokesman Vincent O’Brian is equally frustrated by the council’s lack of action.

The 80-year-old widower said: “The smoke billows in from George Lane, it’s blue and very acrid.

“We have to close all our windows and doors because the smell is so bad.

“We’ve got a beautiful garden that’s won all sorts of prizes, but we can’t use it unless we want to inhale a load of this smoke.”

He added: “I’m not convinced the council’s heart is really in this. 

“What do we have to do for them to take us seriously?”

Fred Gray, 89, is worried the smoke could bring back a recent bout of bronchitis. 

He said: “In this day and age having to rush to your window to close it because the smell outside is so bad is just not on.

“It’s a horrible fishy smell and if it’s not coming from the restaurant it’s coming from somewhere.”

Peter Bean, 90, and his wife Doreen recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and invited some of the neighbours for a party in the flat gardens.

But on the day the smoke was so bad everyone was forced inside.

Church End councillor Emma Best says the smoke is causing residents “real distress” and is concerned by the council’s lack of action.

She added: “I’ll keep working with residents and management to find a solution as this really can’t continue.”

Speaking at a resident meeting yesterday (August 1) a council officer said he does not want the neighbours to suffer, but the current situation “does not justify a nuisance”.

Wood Oven's manager Sivim Hass claims there is "nothing she can do" to stop the smoke.

She said: "I've tried to explain to the residents that there's nothing we can do.

"I can't tell the wind to blow the other way.

"I have all the right licences and do everything by the book. I would love to be able to help them, but there really isn't any other option."

Redbridge Council has been contacted for further comment.