A tenant living at a rundown block of flats in Hackney claims he fears a devastating fire could destroy his home.

David Coleman, who has lived at 63-162 Fellows Court for a decade, believes shoddy repairs by landlord Hackney Council are putting residents at risk.

He said that the council removed cladding in the block’s corridors in 2019 in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.

But he fears the gaps that can be seen between the floors behind the remaining panelling would still allow a fire to spread quickly through the block.

Gaps are visible between the floors behind the panelling in the corridors of Fellows CourtGaps are visible between the floors behind the panelling in the corridors of Fellows Court (Image: Newsquest)

Persistent leaks and a failure to repair the crumbling stairways, which act as the block’s escape route, could also lead to disaster in the event of a fire, Mr Coleman warned.

He told Hackney Gazette: “In the stairwells there are sharp metal edges that have never been fixed.

“You shouldn’t have gaps in tower blocks between floors because a fire would spread straight through.”

The cladding removed by the council has also never been replaced, he added.

Mr Coleman said people living at Fellows Court jokingly refer to the marks in the existing panelling as “bullet holes”.

Residents refer to exposed gaps in corridor panelling as 'bullet holes'Residents refer to exposed gaps in corridor panelling as 'bullet holes' (Image: Newsquest)

His safety concerns come five years after a fire in the bin store of the 15-storey block forced residents to evacuate their homes.

The bin store has never been fully repaired, yet is still in use despite its dilapidated state, Mr Coleman said.

Fire damage can still be seen in the storeroom, as well as low-hanging waste pipes from the flats above.

Despite this, he says the area is also used by cleaners to store their supplies.

Damage to the bin store room is still visible five years after a fireDamage to the bin store room is still visible five years after a fire (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Coleman said: “This just shows how bad they are at repairing stuff afterwards.

“We were told it was going to be cleaned out. But they’ve not done anything in here to fix it.”

Hackney Council’s strategic director for housing, Steve Waddington, said: “I want to reassure all of the residents of Fellows Court that we are fully aware of the concerns they have raised and that we are doing all we can to resolve them as soon as possible.”

He added: “While we have carried out work to ensure the internal panels will not cause a spread of fire should one break out, we are seeking to enhance their unsightly look, which has been caused during our extensive fire safety work on the block.”