Enfield tower block residents describe 'hell' of no heating or hot water

Residents in a north London tower block have described "atrocious" conditions after being without hot water or heating for more than two weeks.

The gas supply to Cheshire House, Enfield, was turned off after a gas leak was discovered on 28 November.

One mother says her child ended up in hospital after he caught a virus.

Enfield Council said all residents in the block had been "offered alternative accommodation while the situation was addressed".

Mother of two Emma Parkinson described the conditions in the 18-storey block as "hell", as temperatures went below 0C in the capital over the past week.

"It's very stressful," she said. "It's a lot to deal with when you're so cold and you're unwell."

Enfield Council says it has provided heaters and blankets to those who stayed at Cheshire House, saying its "absolute priority" is to keep its tenants warm. However, Ms Parkinson says she was offered "one heater".

She turned down the offer of a hotel room, saying: "There's no cooking facilities in a hotel room. I can't afford to be buying takeaways and eating out, so unless they [the council] are going to provide cooked meals for me and my children, it's not suitable."

The council says it has been working "around the clock" to replace the gas service and expects the work to be completed in most flats over the next week.

Bayram Cubuk, who lives on the 16th floor, also said he had been given "one little fan to warm up the whole house".

"Christmas is finished," he said. "Ruined already."

Mamitu Ashete, who lives on the floor above Mr Cubuk, said it had "been hell" with condensation dripping off the ceiling "right onto my bed".

"We don't sleep," she said. "It's stressful, it's very, very, very stressful."

The council has installed a row of portable showers outside the front of Cheshire House, but Ms Ashete asked, "How am I going to come and shower here? This is not human. It's really, really sad".

Gas company Cadent says it had advised the council in August that Cheshire House's structure meant "for safety reasons" it should not be supplied by gas. It says it had been working with the council to remove the gas supply when the leak was discovered during a monthly inspection.

An Enfield Council spokesperson said they appreciated conditions inside Cheshire House were "very difficult", but urged residents "to keep talking to our on-site team about any additional support that can be provided, including the option to move to other secure and warm accommodation while this work is completed".

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]