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Council ‘saddened’ after tenant found dead in flat
Southwark Council said it is “incredibly saddened” after a woman was found dead in an estate owned and managed by the local authority.
Local newspaper Southwark News reported interviews with other residents on the Tabard Gardens Estate who claimed that her body was discovered on 6 January after the family living in the flat below hers raised the alarm, but the body may have lain there for months.
Neighbours reported that they had not seen the woman since the summer.
Residents also said the body was discovered after nearly a year of complaints to the council over leaks people thought were coming from the woman’s flat.
One told Southwark News that he first complained to the council about the leak in March 2022 after water from her flat started coming through his ceiling.
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He said he went up to find the source of the leak and found the woman “distraught” and living in “swamp”-like conditions.
Inside Housing has not independently verified these reports.
The woman has yet to be formally identified.
The police and coroner have not confirmed when she died.
Darren Merrill, cabinet member for council homes and homelessness at Southwark Council, said: “I am incredibly saddened that a woman has been found dead in one of our council properties, and extend my heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.
“We are supporting the police in establishing the exact circumstances and thoroughly checking all records the council holds in relation to this property and the tenant.
“I know this is an extremely upsetting situation for people living in the block, and I want to reassure them that we will offer as much support as we can.”
The death comes after Sheila Seleoane lay dead in a Peabody flat for two-and-half years before she was discovered.
Residents had complained to the landlord about a horrendous smell “like rotten meat” filling the block and sightings of maggots and flies since 2019.
