The cost of repairs to the council
Heswell Court, Bailey Street, Luton flooding occured on 8th floor caused by vandalised pipes.
Residents awoke to extreme flooding in their council flats when water pipes and electrics were vandalised in Bailey Street on Thursday.
Fire crews were called to flooding in the communal areas of Heswall Court flats in Luton just after midnight.
They found that on several floors the pipes and electrics had been vandalised and made the areas safe.
Zsolt Lakatos, 38, who has lived in Heswall Court for two years, called 999 when he discovered the flooding.
He said: “I was in bed when I heard banging and people running in the corridor at about 11pm. After 15 minutes I went out to look and our kitchen was already covered with water, about an inch deep. A tube was spurting water out of the wall.
“By the time the fire crews got here it had leaked down to the fourth floor (from the eighth). I think it was vandalism rather than stealing. The pipe that was missing you’d only get about 25p for that as scrap metal. It was just youths I think, they’ve done it in the other blocks too.”
The cost of repairs to date in the Bailey Street high rises, including costs due to theft and vandalism is around £10,000.
Rent for a one bedroom flat is £81.36 a week, for a two bedroom flat it’s £92.62 a week.
Repair costs for previous years have been £1,500 for 2010, £3,000 for 2011 and £5,000 for 2012.
The council is likely to incur further costs due to the purchase of new and improved security around the blocks of flats.
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Weather for Luton
Friday 24 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 29 mph
Wind direction: North
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