RESIDENTS in a York block of flats say smoke damage caused by a fire in a flat last week is making living conditions ‘horrendous.’

People living in the flats in Eboracum Way, off Heworth Green, who were evacuated after the fire, have criticised their housing association, Home Group, for failing to come and clean up the first floor corridor.

One resident said: “It’s horrible,they keep saying people are coming to sort it out and nothing.

“It’s hits you right at the back of your throat when you step in to the corridor. A lady down the corridor has been put on medication as it is really affecting her breathing.

“The children should not be having to see this and breathe it in. It’s heart breaking.”

Another resident said the the smell coming through into the flats was ‘horrendous,’ even though the windows were open all day.

Sally Parsons, director of service delivery at Home Group, said she was sorry for the disruption facing customers but she wanted to reassure them it was working extremely hard to get everything back to normal as quickly as possible.

She said: “Thanks to the building’s design and its fire safety strategy all our customers were able to evacuate safely. We have secured the property and isolated the services to ensure the continued safety of those living in the building. We are now working hard to conduct cleaning throughout the affected areas.

“However, this has proven a slower process than usual due to the current climate so I can only apologise to our customers and thank them for their patience during this unprecedented time.”

She added that Home Group took fire safety extremely seriously and continually tested and reviewed procedures and equipment.