Margaret Ebury and Willaim Traynor by the broken intercom

Elderly and disabled residents of a council-run assisted living housing block claim an intercom system has been broken for two years leading to practical problems and security fears.

Tenants of Turner Court in Weston Road, Dagenham, say visiting family and friends must phone them if they arrive between 8pm and 8am when the warden is not on site.

They are then forced to leave their flat and walk to the communal door to let visitors in, which for many is a struggle due to old age and disabilities.

According to the residents, the broken intercom also means bogus callers have been able to enter the building.

Barking and Dagenham Council has now said it will replace the entire intercom system with a new one following ongoing problems.

Vulnerable

Among the tenants to complain is William Traynor.

The 79-year-old said: “What happens is people will knock on the communal front door to get in because there’s no intercom and residents walking past inside will let them in thinking they are friends or family of someone, but in the past they’ve turned out to be people trying to take advantage of us because we’re vulnerable.”

Mr Traynor, who uses crutches to get around, says he has complained to the council on a number of occasions.

“I don’t get anywhere,” he told the Post. “How difficult can it be to fix an intercom? It would make such a difference to us. I don’t understand why we’ve waited two years.”

Fellow tenant Margaret Ebury has had a stroke and must use a frame to walk.

She said: “It’s difficult for me to get about, so it would really help if I could let people in using the intercom.

“It’s not too bad during the day as a warden can open the door but in the evening we have to do it, which for most of us is a struggle.

“I would also feel a lot safer if it was fixed, as less random people would be let into the building.”

A council spokesman said: “There have been ongoing problems with this intercom for about two years, though it has not been continuously broken for that entire period.

“Unfortunately it is no longer possible to repair it because the spare parts are now obsolete. We are therefore replacing the entire system with a new one.

“We are now in the process of arranging these works. We apologise to residents for the inconvenience.”