Families living at Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, southwest London, say their air conditioning was switched off by the building's management company, Aura Asset Management, during a heatwave, leaving children needing urgent medical care.
Sabrina Walters, 31, told Metro her 12-year-old daughter suffered continuous nosebleeds and her one-year-old was sweating and unable to sleep. 'It was terrible. It was so hot, blood started coming from my 12-year-old child's nose,' she said. 'We have been treated like we are cattle. The company running the building have been completely heartless.'
Second child taken to hospital
Another mother, 41, living on the 14th floor, said her child developed a rash and was taken to hospital. 'The heat was terrible and our air conditioning was turned off. One of my children developed a terrible rash. It was difficult to breathe in there,' she told Metro.
The 14-storey block has a glass front, meaning flats heat up quickly, and windows cannot be fully opened for safety reasons.
Letter confirms no entitlement to air con
A letter from Aura Asset Management and People First Housing stated: 'As part of our arrangements... air conditioning has been switched off for their rented flats in the building. Air conditioning has not been offered as an amenity under these arrangements.'
The families were advised to buy their own fans. The building's freehold is owned by Criterion Capital, part of millionaire property magnate Asif Aziz's portfolio.
Council relocating families
Wandsworth Council, which placed some homeless families in the block, is relocating its residents after learning about the air con being switched off.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan backed the families. His spokesperson said: 'The Mayor expects temporary accommodation to meet basic standards for decent living. The steps taken at Britannia Point are completely unacceptable.'
Aura Asset Management said in a statement that air conditioning is now working and available for all residents, adding: 'To date, we have not received any reports indicating that a resident has become seriously ill as a result of the recent period of hot weather.'
Local councillor Stuart Neaverson called the company's behaviour 'disgraceful', saying: 'To specifically target people who have been made homeless and trying to rebuild their lives is outrageous.'
