A retired soldier who’s “absolutely poverty stricken” has slammed Leeds City Council for housing him in a flat "not fit to live in", while he’s terrorised by local yobs who’ve shot at his window and smeared faeces all over his front door.
Paul Sheard, 67, says his council flat in Seacroft is “derelict” and mouldy. He’s been living there since 2009 and claims the council has not kept promises to improve the building.
As a “vulnerable” elderly man, the ex-army officer thinks he ought to be better looked after. Paul has covered his decaying flat in art but the mould still finds a way to gnaw through his huge swirling and brightly coloured art pieces.
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Leeds City Council says it takes these matter “extremely seriously” and will seek to resolve Paul’s issues as a “matter of urgency”.
Speaking of the moment he heard the bullet blast into his window frame, Paul said: “I can’t describe how I felt, there’s too much built up.”
Paul genuinely fears for his life with “13 years of relentless abuse” since moving in there. He wants the council to make his home more liveable.
Paul said: “Leeds City Council in 2009 deliberately put me into a derelict flat with no intention of me being able to stay there. They had no intention of keeping that tenancy agreement even before it was signed, let alone after it was signed.
“I’ve had 13 years of consistent relentless abuse. There is a bullet hole in my window frame! That’s not even the worst of the problem.
“It’s not fit to live in. Where has the money been going? This isn’t a simple case of disrepair, it’s a case of wilful neglect since the property was built. When I first arrived there in 2009, it had the original single paned windows in. There’s a tenancy agreement which tells me they’ll give me a healthy safe place to live.
“I’m up there, on my own, not very well and vulnerable, isolated and absolutely poverty stricken because I can’t get what I’m owed. The council has been giving me the run around.”
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We take any issues that are raised by tenants relating to the condition of their Leeds City Council properties extremely seriously. Any specific complaints we receive are always fully investigated and appropriate action is taken to remedy the problem.
“Our team are seeking to resolve the issues Mr Sheard is currently facing as a matter of urgency.”
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