Re: ( Case Ref: BR6346) Public health emergency after death on Ostade Road - ongoing wilful health and safety negligence by Lambeth Council
Colin James
I am aware that the Chief Executive has been been involved in this matter and to that extent, supports and sanctions the current position of the council as set out in your email and reflected in the email chain and so I would like to address this directly to you sir.
Dear Chief Executive,
I would like to ask you to firstly, take 10 mins out of your day to walk up the road and personally inspect the condition of the flat of the deceased and the the fly infested environment of my home, as well as from the street to witness the giant black flies coming from the window at the top floor where your officers have left the window open to try get rid of the smell, and to see the flies are now impacting in other residents homes on Ostade Road and Archbishops Place too , and to secondly to submit the position of the Lambeth Council as set out in the correspondence for internal legal review in respect of :
- your statutory Local Government obligations ,
- your obligations as a Social Housing Landlord, -
- your obligations as my Landlord as a freeholder ,
- alignment with your internal operating processes and protocols, and
- your integrity and moral obligations as a Local Government authority
I would suggest that your legal review should satisfy you:
- that ‘ some cleaning and removal of any material associated with body fluid’ , which appears to include cutting a piece of carpet where the body of the deceased had been lying for 3 weeks and placing it in the bins on the street, is sufficient to meet your statutory health and safety obligations,
- that your operating protocols that mean that you as a Council are either prevented or unable to deep clean and fumigate the flat with the deceased belonging on-situ really do exist. And of they do, that they are in any way morally or in respect of your health and safety obligations, appropriate when considering the nature of the death, the length of period that the body was lying there, the dreadful smell that affected the two adjoining flats and the ongoing and now growing infestation of flies, ,
- that local residents on Ostade Road and Archbishops Place should, as your cleaning officers advised, ‘expect flies as the maggots have crawled away from the corpse and laid eggs’, and that this has occurred in the context of a lack of deep cleaning and fumigation of the property with the deceased’ effects in situ, and with the very clear evidence of bags of rubbish and decaying materials as per my dated photograph taken from outside of the property,
- that the assertions made by the Council that the ‘flat has been cleaned’ as referred to be Cllr Bens Kinds emails in the chain below are correct when piles of rubbish and decaying matter in bags in my dated photo taken from outside the property through the open door, when the smell and growing fly infestation has been independently attested to and is now evident in the area, and with the statement from the deceased sister who reports witnessing a filthy state within the flat as well as a fly infestion,
- that the assertions by the Council that common areas were cleaned as referred to in Cllr Bens email below are correct, when my dated photos, records submitted
by independent witnesses and cleaning officers own confirmation that no such request has ever been on an internal task order attest otherwise,
- that the Councils assertion that the photograph taken from outside the property through an open door which evidences the piles of rubbish and decaying matter
stacked in plastic bags with the flat cannot be circulated. In particular, as the Council has significant responsibility in the way you exercise and assert your powers as an authority, that you are able to point to the legislation that requires this evidence must
now be suppressed and also that the community would be acting against the law by sharing evidence of the internal condition of the flat which reveals that the
council has failed to clean and that what is within the flat presents a significant public health risk,
- that as I have already been diagnosed with PTSD from dealing with this situation in having to tape up the door of the deceased flat to stop the traumatising awful smell of death and to try stop the fly infestation, as well as spent a month pleading for the cleaning to take place , that there is no suggestion that me raising this as a complaint has had any bearing on the decisions and actions of the Council ,
- that now with the heat and the growing fly infestation , as well as piles of rubbish inside the uncleared flat ( which it is worth zooming in on the photograph to see ) do not represent a significant and serious health risk to the the residents in the community,
Dear Mr James, thank you for your email. I am sorry you continued to feel that Lambeth Housing should be doing more to clean the flat of the deceased, we don’t completely disagree with you.
As much as you may feel that we have a duty to the adjoining occupiers to keep clean the flat of the deceased neighbour, we also have a duty to respect the deceased property/personal belongings. As you may already be aware, our Grimebusters team have carried out some cleaning and removal of any material associated with bodily fluid. In addition our senior housing officer recently accompanied a family member to the flat and further contacts are planned for the deceased tenant’s family to sort out the personal belongings they wish to keep and we’ll provide assistance to dispose those they do not want. Thereafter, we’ll carry out further cleaning of the flat as part of preparation to re-let the flat.
You may be wondering about timescale, I am afraid that due to the delicate nature of the circumstances of the case, we are going to be guided by the family on timescale and will endeavour to keep you informed.
May I respectfully ask that you do not circulate again the photograph of the deceased tenant’s flat which was taken without our consent or permission. I also note your statement “…be calling a neighbourhood meeting in due course and ask for your help to get as many residents as possible to attend…”. Please let’s respect the personal situation of the deceased by refraining from such action.
Thank you for your continued cooperation.
With regards
Tunde Akinyooye
Head of Neighbourhood Housing Service
South Area Housing Office
Extension 69662
From: Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk>
Sent: 07 May 2024 08:59
To: Cllr Ben Kind <BK...@lambeth.gov.uk>; endymi...@googlegroups.com
Cc: Cecile Bundhoo <CBun...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Doug Perry <DPe...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Cllr Marcia Cameron <MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Cllr Adrian Garden <AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Philip Levey <PLe...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Tunde Akinyooye <TAkin...@lambeth.gov.uk>;
Tim Fairhurst <TFair...@lambeth.gov.uk>; cath...@niessen.cc; Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP <bell.ribe...@parliament.uk>
Subject: ( Case Ref: BR6346) Public health emergency after death on Ostade Road - ongoing wilful health and safety negligence by Lambeth Council
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Cllr Ben Kind,
It has now been two weeks since your email below and Lambeth Council continue to refuse to reply or respond.
Our flats and the homes in the immediate neighbourhood are now infested with flies , which Lambetb Council officer says we should expect as ‘the maggots crawled away from the corpse and laid eggs in the flat’ which the council refuses to clean.
I again attach a phot from a view through the open door into the flat and my window. Neighbours in the area are also now complaint about the guy infestation .
This is gross negligence, and based on this email chain alone, evidently wilful negligence by Lambeth council in terms of their statutory health and safety obligations.
Referring to the email below, It is a deliberately misrepresentation to suggest the common areas were cleaned as we have evidence from the private contract cleaners we hired they were not cleaned and Lambeth Councils own cleaners say the request was not in their task order,
my photo attached of the inside of the flat through the open door and the fly infestation in the neighbourhood evidences that it is also a deliberate misrepresentation in the email below to claim cleaning occurred within the deceaseds flat . The deceased family attended last week and corroborate this and report that the Council only cut a piece of carpet out ( which they placed in the bins on the street , now cleared) but nothing else and say they were distressed to find the flat in an appallingly filthy state and filled with flies.
Lambeth Council have a responsibility to clean up after a death - the body which had already been there for over two weeks was found over a month ago and this is outrageous conduct by Lambeth.
I am writing to ask for your help and that of other residents to maximise publicity of this incident and deliberate through every channel .
This is now desperate and myself and our neighbours need all the help we can get.
I will be calling a neighbourhood meeting in due course and ask for your help to get as many residents as possible to attend to support us .
Yours
Colin James
6 Ostade Road
On 17 Apr 2024, at 21:26, Cllr Ben Kind <BK...@lambeth.gov.uk> wrote:
Can housing officers please return to this matter as I am having trouble reconciling what Mr James says with the information councillors are given in return, including the comments from the Assistant Director in Waste Management and Cleansing who said:
"Our Grimebusters team went to the site and carried out the requested works which was.
Clean up after the death but not to remove anything [personal possesions] from the property...
We disinfected the hallway mixing the material with Odourmask which is probably what they are referring too as it is very strong smelling."
If a sufficient job was done by Grimebusters then Mr James would not be complaining. Given we have been raising this consistently since last week on Mr James' behalf, I cannot understand why additional cleansing has not been undertaken if that is what is needed.
What is going to be done to satisfactorily address this issue for the other residents of 6 Ostade Road?
Regards,
Cllr Kind
Councillor Ben Kind
Cabinet Member for Children & Families
Labour, Brixton Rush Common Ward
Phone/WhatsApp: 07920 547463
Email: BK...@lambeth.gov.uk
Website/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RushCommonLabour/
London Borough of Lambeth
Labour Members Room
C/o The Leader's Office
Lambeth Town Hall
London SW2 1RW
From: Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk>
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 5:14:43 PM
To: Cecile Bundhoo <CBun...@lambeth.gov.uk>
Cc: Cllr Ben Kind <BK...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Cllr Marcia Cameron <MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Cllr Adrian Garden <AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Philip Levey <PLe...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Tunde Akinyooye <TAkin...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Tim Fairhurst <TFair...@lambeth.gov.uk>;cath...@niessen.cc <cath...@niessen.cc>
Subject: Re: Public health emergency after suspected homicide at 6 Ostade Road - request for a follow up from someone at Lambeth
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Cecile Bundhoo,
I am writing to follow up as you said in your visit today that you would report to your management and advise me today on how the Council will follow up but I have still not heard from anyone.
To record your visit:
Although you did not enter the flat, I did offer to remove the tape so you could smell it yourself as well as see under the door , but you declined.
I reiterated that no cleaning took place inside flat C. There was one visit by one person that lasted around an hour. Some soiled material was apparently removed and he sprayed. I advised that I have pictures from under the door into Flat C to show the floor more filthy state of the uncleaned flat.
While you were here a neighbour came around and commented on the flies.
You took a photo of the contact numbers of the deceased father and brother.
I confirmed the invoice for cleaning of the common areas was attached to my last email and reattach it now.
I am left extremely distressed that another day has passed and the council continues to fail to clean flat C. And so I am writing now to plead with you to at the very least not let today pass without a follow up to your visit.
Colin James
On 17 Apr 2024, at 09:16, Cecile Bundhoo <CBun...@lambeth.gov.uk> wrote:
Dear Mr James,
Thank you for your email, I will be able to meet with you today at 2pm.
Kind regards
Cecile Amelie Bundhoo
Senior Neighbourhood Housing Officer (Norwood)
South Area
Resident Services
Tel: 0207 926 6000
e-mail: CBun...@lambeth.gov.uk
Website: http://www.lambeth.gov.uk
139 Albert Carr Gardens
London SW16 3HB
Lambeth – a cooperative council
From: Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk>
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 8:11 AM
To: Cecile Bundhoo <CBun...@lambeth.gov.uk>
Cc: Cllr Ben Kind <BK...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Cllr Marcia Cameron <MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Cllr Adrian Garden <AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Philip Levey <PLe...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Tunde Akinyooye <TAkin...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Tim Fairhurst <TFair...@lambeth.gov.uk>
Subject: Re: Public health emergency after suspected homicide at 6 Ostade Road - request for a follow up from someone at Lambeth
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Good morning,
I will meet you on site today, which is also my home. I am available to return home at 2pm and available thereafter - can you please confirm what time you will arrive today.
In terms of cleaning the communal areas, my neighbour and I hired contract cleaners on the weekend after council officers failed to respond to a request by Cllr Ben to attend and clean as well as to contact me, and after my Cllr Ben’s colleague called on behalf of the officers to say the council would be doing no more.
I have attached images of the state in which the council left the staircase and common areas as well as the invoice. Please can you advise how I submit it for reimbursement.
In terms of cleaning Flat C, I do not accept that spraying antiseptic or air freshener to mask as you imply in your email is in anyway an appropriate response from a public health perspective which impacts me and my neighbours , or as respectful response to the deceased and his family who we should have regard for as any other human being . While the council reasonably cannot remove or destroy items before the deceased next of kin has attended, there is no rational justification for not undertaking a hygienic, disinfecting deep clean of the flat with possessions in-situ. This is what was required last week and remains outstanding.
I find the continual attempts by the council to challenge what I experience in respect of the awful smell and flies in saying things like ‘ it does not linger’very troubling and disturbing both in trying to minimise the situation and in what you are implying about me reporting this issue. When I read your accusatory comments on the smell in your email last night, I asked the contract cleaner to state his independent experience and have attached his text which reads : Yes there was a very strong smell and also some flies that were coming from the top floor flat . If necessary I will request a signed statement. The same goes for the soiled material in the bins which has been there since Thursday last week on which I was approached and told about.
Related , please can you advise on your progress in facilitating next of kin attendances - ie when you first contacted them to request they attend , and what reasonable timeframe you have given.
The deceased family have gathered outside the flat to hold a tribute this weekend . They were troubled that the council has shown so little respect by leaving the flat in the state that it as such that there remains the awful smell and flies. I have had to tape up the outside of the door to contain the small and stop the flies and I have attached a picture of this.
Finally, I must say how struck that your email so very pointedly avoids addressing that fact that you are responding after I have been repeatedly been trying to contact you and the members over the past week by phone and email to get any firm of response, and that this the first time any officer has bothered to make contact since an initial email a week ago that misled on reasons why you won’t clean or attend.
Please can you confirm what time you will attend today
Yours,
Colin James
07771838485
6a Ostade Road
Sent from my iPhone
On 16 Apr 2024, at 17:42, Cecile Bundhoo <CBun...@lambeth.gov.uk> wrote:
Dear Mr James,
I left you a voicemail as I would like to meet with you on site if possible.
I have spoken to Grimebusters who cleaned Flat C and removed all contaminated items, they have assured me that they took all items away with them and did not put them in the communal bins. Regardless of this the communal bins will be emptied by Waste management anyway.
Grimebusters tell me that the smell does tend to linger but I can arrange for them to return and respray after my visit, they can also deal with any flies.
The communal areas of 6 Ostade Road will also be cleaned tomorrow morning.
Please let me know if you would like to meet with me?
Kind regards
Cecile Amelie Bundhoo
Senior Neighbourhood Housing Officer (Norwood)
South Area
Resident Services
Tel: 0207 926 6000
e-mail: CBun...@lambeth.gov.uk
Website: http://www.lambeth.gov.uk
139 Albert Carr Gardens
London SW16 3HB
Lambeth – a cooperative council
From: Cllr Ben Kind <BK...@lambeth.gov.uk>
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2024 9:52:29 AM
To: Tunde Akinyooye <TAkin...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Jill Horgan <JHo...@lambeth.gov.uk>
Cc: Cllr Marcia Cameron <MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Cllr Adrian Garden <AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Public health emergency after suspected homicide at 6 Ostade Road - request for a follow up from someone at Lambeth
Tunde/Jill,
I'm currently on leave - but as you can see from the below email, Mr James continues to be adversely impacted by the death of his neighbour.
You informed me that Grimebusters and the housing officers had visited the property - but as you can see from the below a fly infestation is present and the cleaning by Lambeth Housing of communal areas and the space directly impacted has been substandard.
Officers must reattend Ostade Road to resolve this situation. As I said to you yesterday, this is an extraordinary situation and despite the need to respect the wishes of the next of kin, other residents at Ostade Road should not have to take action themselves when Lambeth Housing is the freeholder. A more hands on management of this situation is needed by your team.
I have copied Mr James in to this email so you can contact him directly and his phone number is 07771 838485. Can you or a member of your team with decision making powers arrange to visit Ostade Road and speak with Mr James today?
Regards,
Ben
Councillor Ben Kind
Cabinet Member for Children & Families
Labour, Brixton Rush Common Ward
Phone/WhatsApp: 07920 547463
Email: BK...@lambeth.gov.uk
Website/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RushCommonLabour/
London Borough of Lambeth
Labour Members Room
C/o The Leader's Office
Lambeth Town Hall
London SW2 1RW
From: Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk>
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2024 9:24 AM
To: Cllr Ben Kind <BK...@lambeth.gov.uk>
Cc: Cllr Marcia Cameron <MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Cllr Adrian Garden <AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk>
Subject: Re: Public health emergency after suspected homicide at 6 Ostade Road - request for a follow up from someone at Lambeth
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Ben,
In my hallway, the dreadful smell remains from the body that had been lying there for weeks and there are more flies than before.
I have attached a picture of the landing where of the flat where the murder took place. You can see under the door that the floor remains as filthy as outside.
Can you please explain what is the light cleaning that took place, and what public health justification exists for refusing to do a deep clean until next of kin have been to see the flat. I find this appealing and unacceptable .
It is a timber floor and it is likely that decaying body fluids have seeped through the floor . I do not understand why I am having to struggle to get basic decent conduct from the council in these circumstances, this not in any way acceptable and I beside myself with how everyone is getting on. This is my home and I have every right to expect a basic level of service in these circumstances
Colin
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I
Sent from my iPhone
On 11 Apr 2024, at 15:50, Cllr Ben Kind <BK...@lambeth.gov.uk> wrote:
Hello Colin,
I'm sorry to hear of the distress this situation has caused. I've escalated to the Housing management for the south area and asked them what they will do to address this today.
For further information, emails are not the best way to raise urgent matters like this with me. If you need to contact me in an emergency like this please use the below phone number.
Regards,
Ben
Councillor Ben Kind
Cabinet Member for Children & Families
Labour, Brixton Rush Common Ward
Phone/WhatsApp: 07920 547463
Email: BK...@lambeth.gov.uk
Website/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RushCommonLabour/
London Borough of Lambeth
Labour Members Room
C/o The Leader's Office
Lambeth Town Hall
London SW2 1RW
From: Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 2:19:01 PM
To: Cllr Marcia Cameron <MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Cllr Ben Kind <BK...@lambeth.gov.uk>
Subject: Re: Public health emergency after suspected homicide at 6 Ostade Road - request for a follow up from someone at Lambeth
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Cllrs,
I assume you are not able to respond due to a purdah period and have been advised to contact my MP and the press, and to invite to visit the property to witness the situation. I will of course continue to keep you informed and copy you into correspondence with them too
Yours
Colin James
On 11 Apr 2024, at 13:49, Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk> wrote:
Dear all,
I have again called 101 and once again the police have confirmed to me the crime scene is closed and that the Lambeth can clean. They have again said that if Lambeth needs to confirm this, you should call them with the postcode code I previously issued you with, or use the crime reference number they gave Lambeth when instructing to board up ( which I understand is recoded on your system)
Please can you confirm that public health cleaning will progress in Flat C and the common hallway today.
Yours
Colin James
On 10 Apr 2024, at 18:07, Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk> wrote:
Apologies ,my last email was sent from my phone and I’m my distress, without checking auto correct. Corrected text now below:
Dear Cllrs,
If you receive this email tonight, please can you urgently help me.
I am unable to stay in my flat due to the unbearable smell. left after the death of my neighbour and the failure of Lambeth public health to clean up as requested by the police when they closed the crime scene and accordingly asked the Council to board the property up. The police have also advised me that they requested Lambeth to clean the property and issued them with the crime reference no.
The flat in which the incident occurred is a council social rented flat above mine , I am a lambeth leaseholder.
Please see email chain below - I have spent the entire day - really! - being sent around the council and it’s getting late now and I’m concerned this is not being addressed with appropriate concern and diligence. I’ve never experienced anything like this and in fairness many officers I spoke to where aghast but said it was outside their remit.
Lambeth now passing over responsibility for next step action to the busy police to email or phone them is a clear dereliction, because responsibility has now passed to Lambeth Council. Action must now come from the council, snd my own phone call to 101 demonstrates to me that confining the crime scene is closed in this way is a reasonable expectation.
Every phone conversation with the council leads to a different excuse : it wasn’t boarded up ; the police have the only set of keys ( the police deny this) ; earlier there was ‘no knowledge’ that it was boarded up; yet at the same time, Housing has ‘no access to the council system records in which I know the councils boarding up and crime reference has been recorded (as confirmed to me by other officers) ,; we did call them but they have no record of a crime; we are waiting for them to call/email to rely to us ; public health dept says they will clean up immediately but require housing to agree to pay their clean up cost; we can visit tomorrow; managers are unavailable to speak to….. they are on training/ they have gone home early’….
I am beyond distressed.
I believe it is within my rights to expect reasonable diligence in meeting your responsibilities as a council to public health
The awful unbearable smell of death from Lambeths refusal to clean up after suspected murder is beyond anything imaginable.
Please, please help.
Yours in desperation
Colin James
07771 838485
6a Ostade Road
Sent from Outlook
From: Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk>
Sent: 10 April 2024 15:12
To: Jennifer Kelly <JKe...@lambeth.gov.uk>
Subject: Re: incident at 6 Ostade Road
Dear Ms Kelly ,
I have just called you at 15:04 to ask you to please phone 101, say you want to clean and need to confirm the crime scene at SW22BA is closed. As I said, I did that and they immediately confirmed that it was closed at 1:43am at which point they confirmed to Lambeth Council the scene was closed and instructed them to board the property up. They asked you to call them to reconfirm this if there is any doubt and I asked you to please do so in my call before your email as I was concerned this was now running down the time.
It is unreasonable to expect the police to contact you and to refuse to simply call them as I have requested you do , and as the police have also asked you to do.
Not only this, you said you are unaware of the boarding up which occurs once the crime scene is closed as you said it must have been a different dept. however I have since spoken with other parts of lambeth who say the boarding up was recorded against the address & the crime reference number entered into your system so I am not sure why you can’t see this record either.
I have now spent the entire day trying to get this resolved and. The smell of the dead body is unbearable and poses a public health risk and you have a responsibility to prioritise this and I have a reasonable right to expect Lambeth to fulfill their statutory and moral obligations.
Please can you phone the police if you need further confirmation and confirm the cleaners will be immediately dispatched. I can’t sleep here with the smell of the dead body so please, please help.
Colin James
6a Ostade Road
Sent from my iPhone
On 10 Apr 2024, at 15:44, Jennifer Kelly <JKe...@lambeth.gov.uk> wrote:
Dear Mr James
Thank you for making contact in regards to the recent incident in flat C.
I have made with the police who are unable to provide me with any information at this time due to Data Protection.
An email has been sent to the officer dealing with the incident they will be contacting me to provide me with further information.
I am unable to attend the property as we have not had the confirmation from the police that their investigations are complete, Lambeth Council are duty bound not enter the property until we receive that confirmation. I am currently on the phone to 101 using the Cad number you have provided me with.
I understand that this is a very frustrating time for you and I am doing my best to get this resolved for you. I will be in touch again once the officer dealing with the incident makes contact with me to confirm that the property is no longer a crime scene.
Kind regards
Jennifer Kelly
Neighbourhood Housing officer(Streatham)
Housing and Adult Social Care
Tel: 020 7926 8149
PO Box 80771
London
SW2 9QQ
Lambeth – a cooperative council
Disclaimers apply - full details at www.lambeth.gov.uk/email-disclaimer
Colin James
Colin James
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Colin James
Dear Bayo Dosunmu,
It appears as if you were was not included in the email sent on your behalf by your officers which is below my email in the chain.
In reply to your follow up email sent by your officer on your behalf, I record the following
1. Lambeth Council Assertion - The building was attended by public health officer
I specifically asked yesterday if anyone in attendance had been sent from public health in order to speak to them and was told no one was in attendance, and was even assured by officers someone would follow up and attend.
As I recorded yesterday, officers were sufficiently concerned about their own health to now begin wearing PPE before even entering our common areas (which they had not done previously.)
I respectfully request this written report by public health lead officer is niw shared with me and my neighbour under the circumstances.
2. Lambeth Council Assertion - The windows have been shut
I have attached a photograph dated from a few minutes ago that shows this is not true and the window remains open.
I would ask anyone reading this email to walk past 6 Ostade Road and witness this for themselves.
3. Lambeth Council Assertion - There were a ‘few flies’
While it is self evident that no flies should be found in a flat that was cleaned and has been vacant for a month, I would like to present strong evidence to make it clear that it is not a few flies.
Moreover, if there are no flies or smell, there would be no reason for officers to reply my own taped seal to the door (which was not even done correctly as my photograph shows)
As evidence, I have attached photographs taken s few minutes ago of the blue green flies in the common areas.
My neighbour and I have been documenting with dated photographs the blue black flies over the past month and collected independent witness statements to support our position.
I again invite you as chief executive to either attend yourself, or to send an independent representative or a member from the complaints team to come to my home personally witness the fly infestation and to view the flat .
4. Lambeth Council Assertion - there was no rotten food in the flat
As you will no doubt have been advised by your public health lead, Blue bottle flies deposit their eggs in decomposing tissue.
After larvae hatch, they feed on the surrounding meat. When ready to pupate, the pests head to drier environments.
As the blue bottle fly life cycle from egg to adult fly can take as little as seven days, but generally requires about 2 weeks, for these flies to be present one month after the body was removed indicates that there remains material on which the flies are feeding and laying eggs.
I have again attached the photograph taken through the open door from outside the flat evidencing the environment that you are reporting to have been cleaned.
5. Lambeth Council - sprayed ‘insect spray’
‘Insect spray’ is not an appropriate public health response by Lambeth Council in these circumstances.
My neighbour and I have sought independent public health advice and have been informed that so long as the material supporting the fly infestation remains, the infestation will continue. They specifically raised concerns about the nature of the death, the fact that the body had been decaying in the flat for three weeks, and that the flat has unsealed floorboards .
My neighbours and I are increasingly distraught that we are having to once again take dated photographic evidence as well as get independent witnesses to verify the truth against the assertions by Lambeth Council. Particularly as it is on the basis of these evidentially false assertions by Lambeth Council that you continue to refuse to deep clean the flat with the deceased contents in situ, to fumigate and to address the growing fly infestation and public health risk in our community as a result of the death in such tragic circumstances.
I request that this email, and the chain, is forwarded to your legal dept for review along with my previous emails to you on 8 and 9 May.
I ask you once again to give this matter appropriate urgent priority, and on behalf of my neighbours we ask that you do not elect to allow this situation continue over another weekend.
Yours sincerely
Colin James
6 Ostade Road
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On 10 May 2024, at 10:29, Tunde Akinyooye <TAkin...@lambeth.gov.uk> wrote:
Dear Mr James & Cllr Kind
Thank you for your further representations. We are in agreement with you that further deep cleaning of flat C will be done once the personal effects were sorted and the family released the flat to Lambeth.
To determine if in the meantime further emergency cleaning or waste disposal was needed, two housing officers and a team leader of the Grimebusters team (responsible for deep cleaning) visited the flat yesterday. They reported that they could not detect foul smell in the flat or in the communal area. There was no rotten food in the flat nor in the fridge, which was still running. There were a few flies in the kitchen and insect (killer) spray was applied to the whole flat and the windows were shut before they left.
I understand that the officers spoke to you and you stated that you’re expecting Lambeth public health department to visit the property- for clarity, the Grimebusters team leader is part of that team and he would have taken further measure/s if necessary to clean or remove waste attracting flies were present, but there was none.
I can assure you that we are touch with the family of the deceased to secure their agreement to release the flat to Lambeth as soon as possible but it’s also important that we give them reasonable time and space to come to terms with their loss. I hope you’ll understand and bear with us.
With warm regards
Tunde Akinyooye
Head of Neighbourhood Housing Service
South Area Housing Office
Extension 69662
Sent: 09 May 2024 21:02
To: Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk>; Complaints <Compl...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Bayo Dosunmu <BDos...@lambeth.gov.uk>
Cc: Cllr Marcia Cameron <MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Cllr Adrian Garden <AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Tim Fairhurst <TFair...@lambeth.gov.uk>; Tunde Akinyooye <TAkin...@lambeth.gov.uk>
Subject: Re: ( Case Ref: BR6346) Public health emergency after death on Ostade Road - ongoing wilful health and safety negligence by Lambeth Council
Colin,
I note you have sought to escalate your complaint to the Council's Chief Executive. However, you do not appear to have included them in your email. I've therefore copied this email to both the Chief Executive and the Council's complaints team.
I've also included the complaints team and, on my request, I ask that they raise this through the independent formal complaints system for investigation as I do not believe you have had a satisfactory response to the complaints you have raised with Lambeth Housing or the interventions I have raised on your behalf.
Regards,
Ben
Councillor Ben Kind
Cabinet Member for Children & Families
Labour, Brixton Rush Common Ward
Phone/WhatsApp: 07920 547463
Website/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RushCommonLabour/
London Borough of Lambeth
Labour Members Room
C/o The Leader's Office
Lambeth Town Hall
London SW2 1RW
________________________________
Sent: Thursday, May 9, 2024 6:48:16 PM
To: Tunde Akinyooye <TAkin...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:TAkin...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; smoh...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:smoh...@lambeth.gov.uk> <smoh...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:smoh...@lambeth.gov.uk>>
Cc: endymi...@googlegroups.com<mailto:endymi...@googlegroups.com> <endymi...@googlegroups.com<mailto:endymi...@googlegroups.com>>; Cecile Bundhoo <CBun...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:CBun...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Doug Perry <DPe...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:DPe...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Cllr Marcia Cameron <MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Cllr Ben Kind <BK...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:BK...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Cllr Adrian Garden <AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Philip Levey <PLe...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:PLe...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Tim Fairhurst <TFair...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:TFair...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; cath...@niessen.cc<mailto:cath...@niessen.cc> <cath...@niessen.cc<mailto:cath...@niessen.cc>>; Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP <bell.ribe...@parliament.uk<mailto:bell.ribe...@parliament.uk>>; Jill Horgan <JHo...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:JHo...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Jennifer Kelly <JKe...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:JKe...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Cllr Donna Harris <DHar...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:DHar...@lambeth.gov.uk>>
Subject: Re: ( Case Ref: BR6346) Public health emergency after death on Ostade Road - ongoing wilful health and safety negligence by Lambeth Council
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
I would further like to record that your officers did not fully reseal the door the the deceased flat which has now led to an increase in flies
I attach a photograph to evidence the doorway
Yours sincerely
Colin James
On 9 May 2024, at 18:27, Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk<mailto:colin...@live.co.uk>> wrote:
Dear Chief Executive of LBC
I would like to record that the same team of officers who have been engaged to date attended the property today .
It is noteworthy that they were sufficiently concerned about their own health to put on PPS before even entering the common areas of the building.
When asked, they said no one attending was from public health. They agreed to my request for them to ensure someone from public health would attend today, but no one did. .
I pointed to the dead blue black flies on the walls , and dead flies that they stepped over as they walked up the common areas
As you have no doubt been advised today by your public health officers, the fly infestation in our neighbourhood that your officers witnessed presents a serious risk to health:
Blue bottle flies in homes can transmit diseases and bacteria between hosts. The risk increases if these pests feed on foods that humans consume. A blue bottle fly might spread illnesses like: Conjunctivitis. Dysentery and Food poisoning
Although the team in attendance committed to reporting back today, another day has passed with silence from Lambeth
Myself and my neighbours do feel in the circumstances that we are at least entitled to response from Lambeth.
Yours sincerely
Colin James
Dear Mr James, thank you for your email. I am sorry you continued to feel that Lambeth Housing should be doing more to clean the flat of the deceased, we don’t completely disagree with you.
As much as you may feel that we have a duty to the adjoining occupiers to keep clean the flat of the deceased neighbour, we also have a duty to respect the deceased property/personal belongings. As you may already be aware, our Grimebusters team have carried out some cleaning and removal of any material associated with bodily fluid. In addition our senior housing officer recently accompanied a family member to the flat and further contacts are planned for the deceased tenant’s family to sort out the personal belongings they wish to keep and we’ll provide assistance to dispose those they do not want. Thereafter, we’ll carry out further cleaning of the flat as part of preparation to re-let the flat.
You may be wondering about timescale, I am afraid that due to the delicate nature of the circumstances of the case, we are going to be guided by the family on timescale and will endeavour to keep you informed.
May I respectfully ask that you do not circulate again the photograph of the deceased tenant’s flat which was taken without our consent or permission. I also note your statement “…be calling a neighbourhood meeting in due course and ask for your help to get as many residents as possible to attend…”. Please let’s respect the personal situation of the deceased by refraining from such action.
Thank you for your continued cooperation.
With regards
Tunde Akinyooye
Head of Neighbourhood Housing Service
South Area Housing Office
Extension 69662
Sent: 07 May 2024 08:59
To: Cllr Ben Kind <BK...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:BK...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; endymi...@googlegroups.com<mailto:endymi...@googlegroups.com>
Cc: Cecile Bundhoo <CBun...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:CBun...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Doug Perry <DPe...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:DPe...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Cllr Marcia Cameron <MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Cllr Adrian Garden <AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Philip Levey <PLe...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:PLe...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Tunde Akinyooye <TAkin...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:TAkin...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Tim Fairhurst <TFair...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:TFair...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; cath...@niessen.cc<mailto:cath...@niessen.cc>; Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP <bell.ribe...@parliament.uk<mailto:bell.ribe...@parliament.uk>>
Subject: ( Case Ref: BR6346) Public health emergency after death on Ostade Road - ongoing wilful health and safety negligence by Lambeth Council
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Cllr Ben Kind,
It has now been two weeks since your email below and Lambeth Council continue to refuse to reply or respond.
Our flats and the homes in the immediate neighbourhood are now infested with flies , which Lambetb Council officer says we should expect as ‘the maggots crawled away from the corpse and laid eggs in the flat’ which the council refuses to clean.
I again attach a phot from a view through the open door into the flat and my window. Neighbours in the area are also now complaint about the guy infestation .
This is gross negligence, and based on this email chain alone, evidently wilful negligence by Lambeth council in terms of their statutory health and safety obligations.
Referring to the email below, It is a deliberately misrepresentation to suggest the common areas were cleaned as we have evidence from the private contract cleaners we hired they were not cleaned and Lambeth Councils own cleaners say the request was not in their task order,
my photo attached of the inside of the flat through the open door and the fly infestation in the neighbourhood evidences that it is also a deliberate misrepresentation in the email below to claim cleaning occurred within the deceaseds flat . The deceased family attended last week and corroborate this and report that the Council only cut a piece of carpet out ( which they placed in the bins on the street , now cleared) but nothing else and say they were distressed to find the flat in an appallingly filthy state and filled with flies.
Lambeth Council have a responsibility to clean up after a death - the body which had already been there for over two weeks was found over a month ago and this is outrageous conduct by Lambeth.
I am writing to ask for your help and that of other residents to maximise publicity of this incident and deliberate through every channel .
This is now desperate and myself and our neighbours need all the help we can get.
I will be calling a neighbourhood meeting in due course and ask for your help to get as many residents as possible to attend to support us .
Yours
Colin James
6 Ostade Road
Can housing officers please return to this matter as I am having trouble reconciling what Mr James says with the information councillors are given in return, including the comments from the Assistant Director in Waste Management and Cleansing who said:
"Our Grimebusters team went to the site and carried out the requested works which was.
Clean up after the death but not to remove anything [personal possesions] from the property...
We disinfected the hallway mixing the material with Odourmask which is probably what they are referring too as it is very strong smelling."
If a sufficient job was done by Grimebusters then Mr James would not be complaining. Given we have been raising this consistently since last week on Mr James' behalf, I cannot understand why additional cleansing has not been undertaken if that is what is needed.
What is going to be done to satisfactorily address this issue for the other residents of 6 Ostade Road?
Regards,
Cllr Kind
Councillor Ben Kind
Cabinet Member for Children & Families
Labour, Brixton Rush Common Ward
Phone/WhatsApp: 07920 547463
Website/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RushCommonLabour/
London Borough of Lambeth
Labour Members Room
C/o The Leader's Office
Lambeth Town Hall
London SW2 1RW
________________________________
Website: http://www.lambeth.gov.uk<http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/>
Dear Mr James,
I left you a voicemail as I would like to meet with you on site if possible.
I have spoken to Grimebusters who cleaned Flat C and removed all contaminated items, they have assured me that they took all items away with them and did not put them in the communal bins. Regardless of this the communal bins will be emptied by Waste management anyway.
Grimebusters tell me that the smell does tend to linger but I can arrange for them to return and respray after my visit, they can also deal with any flies.
The communal areas of 6 Ostade Road will also be cleaned tomorrow morning.
Please let me know if you would like to meet with me?
Kind regards
Cecile Amelie Bundhoo
Senior Neighbourhood Housing Officer (Norwood)
South Area
Resident Services
Tel: 0207 926 6000
Website: http://www.lambeth.gov.uk<http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/>
139 Albert Carr Gardens
London SW16 3HB
Lambeth – a cooperative council
________________________________
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2024 9:52:29 AM
To: Tunde Akinyooye <TAkin...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:TAkin...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Jill Horgan <JHo...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:JHo...@lambeth.gov.uk>>
Cc: Cllr Marcia Cameron <MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Cllr Adrian Garden <AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk<mailto:colin...@live.co.uk>>
Subject: Re: Public health emergency after suspected homicide at 6 Ostade Road - request for a follow up from someone at Lambeth
Tunde/Jill,
I'm currently on leave - but as you can see from the below email, Mr James continues to be adversely impacted by the death of his neighbour.
You informed me that Grimebusters and the housing officers had visited the property - but as you can see from the below a fly infestation is present and the cleaning by Lambeth Housing of communal areas and the space directly impacted has been substandard.
Officers must reattend Ostade Road to resolve this situation. As I said to you yesterday, this is an extraordinary situation and despite the need to respect the wishes of the next of kin, other residents at Ostade Road should not have to take action themselves when Lambeth Housing is the freeholder. A more hands on management of this situation is needed by your team.
I have copied Mr James in to this email so you can contact him directly and his phone number is 07771 838485. Can you or a member of your team with decision making powers arrange to visit Ostade Road and speak with Mr James today?
Regards,
Ben
Councillor Ben Kind
Cabinet Member for Children & Families
Labour, Brixton Rush Common Ward
Phone/WhatsApp: 07920 547463
Website/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RushCommonLabour/
London Borough of Lambeth
Labour Members Room
C/o The Leader's Office
Lambeth Town Hall
London SW2 1RW
________________________________
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2024 9:24 AM
To: Cllr Ben Kind <BK...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:BK...@lambeth.gov.uk>>
Cc: Cllr Marcia Cameron <MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:MCam...@lambeth.gov.uk>>; Cllr Adrian Garden <AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:AGa...@lambeth.gov.uk>>
Subject: Re: Public health emergency after suspected homicide at 6 Ostade Road - request for a follow up from someone at Lambeth
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Ben,
In my hallway, the dreadful smell remains from the body that had been lying there for weeks and there are more flies than before.
I have attached a picture of the landing where of the flat where the murder took place. You can see under the door that the floor remains as filthy as outside.
Can you please explain what is the light cleaning that took place, and what public health justification exists for refusing to do a deep clean until next of kin have been to see the flat. I find this appealing and unacceptable .
It is a timber floor and it is likely that decaying body fluids have seeped through the floor . I do not understand why I am having to struggle to get basic decent conduct from the council in these circumstances, this not in any way acceptable and I beside myself with how everyone is getting on. This is my home and I have every right to expect a basic level of service in these circumstances
Colin
<image001.jpg>
I
Sent from my iPhone
Hello Colin,
I'm sorry to hear of the distress this situation has caused. I've escalated to the Housing management for the south area and asked them what they will do to address this today.
For further information, emails are not the best way to raise urgent matters like this with me. If you need to contact me in an emergency like this please use the below phone number.
Regards,
Ben
Councillor Ben Kind
Cabinet Member for Children & Families
Labour, Brixton Rush Common Ward
Phone/WhatsApp: 07920 547463
Website/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RushCommonLabour/
London Borough of Lambeth
Labour Members Room
C/o The Leader's Office
Lambeth Town Hall
London SW2 1RW
________________________________
From: Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk<mailto:colin...@live.co.uk>>
Sent: 10 April 2024 15:12
To: Jennifer Kelly <JKe...@lambeth.gov.uk<mailto:JKe...@lambeth.gov.uk>>
Subject: Re: incident at 6 Ostade Road
Dear Ms Kelly ,
I have just called you at 15:04 to ask you to please phone 101, say you want to clean and need to confirm the crime scene at SW22BA is closed. As I said, I did that and they immediately confirmed that it was closed at 1:43am at which point they confirmed to Lambeth Council the scene was closed and instructed them to board the property up. They asked you to call them to reconfirm this if there is any doubt and I asked you to please do so in my call before your email as I was concerned this was now running down the time.
It is unreasonable to expect the police to contact you and to refuse to simply call them as I have requested you do , and as the police have also asked you to do.
Not only this, you said you are unaware of the boarding up which occurs once the crime scene is closed as you said it must have been a different dept. however I have since spoken with other parts of lambeth who say the boarding up was recorded against the address & the crime reference number entered into your system so I am not sure why you can’t see this record either.
I have now spent the entire day trying to get this resolved and. The smell of the dead body is unbearable and poses a public health risk and you have a responsibility to prioritise this and I have a reasonable right to expect Lambeth to fulfill their statutory and moral obligations.
Please can you phone the police if you need further confirmation and confirm the cleaners will be immediately dispatched. I can’t sleep here with the smell of the dead body so please, please help.
Colin James
6a Ostade Road
Sent from my iPhone
Dear Mr James
Thank you for making contact in regards to the recent incident in flat C.
I have made with the police who are unable to provide me with any information at this time due to Data Protection.
An email has been sent to the officer dealing with the incident they will be contacting me to provide me with further information.
I am unable to attend the property as we have not had the confirmation from the police that their investigations are complete, Lambeth Council are duty bound not enter the property until we receive that confirmation. I am currently on the phone to 101 using the Cad number you have provided me with.
I understand that this is a very frustrating time for you and I am doing my best to get this resolved for you. I will be in touch again once the officer dealing with the incident makes contact with me to confirm that the property is no longer a crime scene.
Kind regards
Jennifer Kelly
Neighbourhood Housing officer(Streatham)
Housing and Adult Social Care
PO Box 80771
London
SW2 9QQ
Lambeth – a cooperative council
Colin James
Half an hour after I sent my email, the same officers returned.
They advised they cannot tell me why they are attending for ‘data protection reasons’
I immediately called my neighbour from across the street to witness me showing them the fly infestation. They said they would send an email to correct their previous email on the flies.
They then went upstairs to close the window. To prevent further details, I attach a photograph from the public domain of the street of your officers closing the window.
Of note from the blue gloves , they are again sufficiently concerned for their own health to wear PPE to close the window.
Your officers have me such a frightening glare I am now genuinely scared. This was witnessed by my neighbour
Please can you reply to this email urgently to reassure me.
Yours sincerely
Colin James
6 Ostade Road
[image0.jpeg]
Sent from my iPhone
On 10 May 2024, at 12:35, Colin James <colin...@live.co.uk> wrote: