Elderly man who fell down hole ‘laughed at and ignored’ by housing employee
An elderly man who fell down a hole in an area his housing association is supposed to maintain has claimed his complaint was laughed at and ignored.
Last month, Liam Ryan, 78, of Lee Park Road in Blackheath, fell into a hole on grounds Lewisham Homes is supposed to maintain.
Mr Ryan said: “The grass hadn’t been cut for two months. I had to be helped out of the hole by two people because it was too deep to get out of.
“It was a little degrading but it didn’t hurt me, it just hurt my pride.”
Mr Liam spoke to the manager of the gardening department of Lewisham Homes, which is managed by Lewisham council, to explain what happened.
He claimed the manager laughed at him and ignored the complaint.
He said: “I called again the same week asking if the hole would be filled and the manager told me it was none of my business. That annoyed me, I know I’m a tenant but I have rights.”
Two weeks ago Mr Ryan was contacted by Lewisham Homes who said he was right to complain and the hole was filled.
However, Mr Ryan said the hole had already started to sink and there were other holes in the green space outside his home that have not been filled.
He said: “What other errors would they have made if they made this one?
“Two ladies under my flat had two months without hot water because of a leak coming from my flat.
“It took 12 plumbers to find the leak and it was two months that my neighbours couldn’t have a bath or a shower. Is that a way tenants should be treated? I’m tired of this.”
A spokeswoman from Lewisham Homes said: “We expect all of our staff to be polite and respectful towards residents and we will be investigating this incident to ensure we can continue to maintain high standards of customer service.
“In terms of the leak affecting Mr Ryan’s and neighbouring properties, our records indicate it was repaired in May.
“If Mr Ryan is not satisfied with the repair, we would encourage him to get in touch with us.”
Pictured top: Mr Ryan standing on the filled hole outside his home (Picture: Liam Ryan)
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