Peckham neighbours fume after two years of their alarms about smell were ‘ignored’, following discovery of body

A woman lay dead in her Peckham flat for almost three years despite neighbours complaining to the council more than 50 times about the smell, flies and maggots, before police broke in.

Cops broke down the door of the one-bedroom flat where Sheila Seleoane lived in 20-flat Lord’s Court, St Mary’s Road and found a skeleton on the sofa in the living room on Friday.

Shocked police officers also discovered bright pink birthday balloons near her body after breaking down the gate of the third-floor property in a four-storey block.

Neighbours first complained about the “horrible smell” of “rotting chicken” to the Peabody housing association in October 2019, and their appeals continued for more than two years before police finally broke down the door.

Her mailbox had become crammed – and there was a forced entry notice for a gas check on the door of the apartment in 2020.

Residents said their protests had been ignored. Some believe there may have been a break-in last autumn. Ayesha Smith, a mother of four and a neighbour, said a smell of “rotten chicken” had filled her apartment for more than two years. 

She added: “When I come out of the flat now it feels eerie. There were big and small flies that came into your house when you opened the front door.

“I contacted the housing association at least 50 times to complain. They always said someone would come out but nothing was ever done. At one point in 2020 they told us that the lady had been removed from the house.

“The smell went away for a period of time, but then it came back.

“Then on Friday the police came with a battering ram and they broke down the door. They said they found a skeleton on the couch. 

“It was so scary the way they came in. My son said that he froze. There were pink party balloons that had been tied but all the air had gone out of them.”

The caretaker said landlords Peabody told the residents there was a problem with the drains – and then that no one was able to come to investigate during lockdown as it was not an emergency.

Mrs Smith said: “We were being misled. It seemed like they just didn’t care. They said it was coming from the drains but it didn’t smell like drains. 

“All the tenants denounced it over and over again, but nobody listened to us.”

She had been pregnant at the time, but the smell had left her feeling “physically ill”, while her 11-year-old son complained of headaches.

Another neighbour, in the apartment directly below the victim, complained in summer of 2019 that her flat had become infested with worms and flies – up to 50 dead ones a day.

She also reported a balcony door had been opened in November 2021 – which she feared might have been a break-in.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said: “[The flies] started coming in through the window of my house in June or July. It went on for about a month.

“The [balcony door] beating got a lot worse on Friday during the storm, so this time I called the police.”

Another neighbour, Lola Johnson, said: “We complained about the smell on the block. We thought it was rats because we’ve had a rat infestation. 

“I live two floors below her and the smell was bad for us. It went through the entire building. 

“It seems incredible. There was no rent or council tax, but that’s the way it is now. It seems that nobody cares.

“She was a very calm and charming woman. She was always kind about asking about the children, but she seemed very lonely.”

A neighbour, who lived next door to the victim, said: “It’s disgusting. I didn’t know her very well, but she would sometimes pick up my deliveries for me.

“I returned from a trip abroad in September or October 2019 when I noticed a horrible stench in the building. It was so bad I had to put a towel under the door. 

“We repeatedly called the housing association – I could see from the letters that she hadn’t been paying her rent. I called them again and told them I hadn’t seen this lady in months.

“Police came but they said a lot of people had moved out of London during the pandemic and she might be abroad.” 

Police asked to confirm her ethnicity after they broke down the door.

A spokesman for the force said: “At 7.01pm on Friday February 18, police were called to a flat in St Mary’s Road, Peckham.

“Concerns had been raised about the welfare of a woman who lived at the address.

“Officers attended and forced entry. The body of a 61-year-old woman who was deceased was found inside.

“The woman’s death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. A file will be prepared for the coroner.”

A Peabody spokesperson said: “We are saddened to learn that our resident has passed away. Our dedicated Tenant and Family Support Team conduct regular wellness checks with people who may be vulnerable.

“We made repeated attempts to check on the resident and contacted police to try to establish contact. We are offering support to neighbouring residents who will understandably be upset.

“We are working closely with the authorities and will investigate all the circumstances and actions taken in this case.”