Greenock Telegraph | News | Mum left alone in 'hell hole'

Friday, 9th January, 2009

Published: Wednesday, 19th November, 2008 12:30

Mum left alone in 'hell hole'

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CLOSE ENCOUNTER: Julie says she has been forced to endure a catalogue of problems in the near-empty block. Picture: George Munro

THE mum-of-two who lives in a derelict building admits she’s at the end of her tether after a catalogue of fires and vandalism.

Julie Williams, her 12-year-old son Lee and her daughter Elle, four, are the only people still staying in a vandal-hit close in Greenock’s Merlin Lane.

Julie says living in the near-empty block has been hell and that the final straw was when she was locked out of the building earlier this week because of teenage thugs.

She said: “I got home on Sunday about 7pm and there are always a lot of boys hanging about.

“This time they had pulled metal off a window and wedged it under the close door and I couldn’t get in.

“Luckily one of the workers from River Clyde Homes was there and one of them climbed in the window and opened the front door for me. Even the workers thought it was completely derelict.

“What would have happened if I had been locked in the building?”

Julie says, two weeks ago, yobs stacked rubbish on a fridge freezer dumped in the close and set it alight, while others have broken into the loftspace and got up on to the roof.

Julie said: “I am terrified something will happen to the kids. I have to walk my son out of the close every morning as he won’t go out on his own.

“It’s terrible — every time you walk into the close there’s 12 to 17 teenage boys hanging about and the close is disgusting. My wee girl actually fell in a pool of urine.

“It’s getting really bad. I’m frightened to leave the flat but everything I own is here.”

River Clyde Homes has vowed to help Julie. She has been told that rehousing her is a priority because the block is earmarked for demolition.

A spokesman for the landlords told the Telegraph: “We would like to re-assure Ms Williams her re-housing needs are a top priority for River Clyde Homes and apologise for any confusion or distress caused by our recent communications.

“We have been urgently trying to contact Ms Williams and are hoping to meet with her today to discuss her housing situation. We will do all we can to make to make her a suitable offer of housing.”

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