HOLES in windows and walls, doors permanently glued open, absent caretakers and neighbours who urinate, spit and throw their rubbish out of the windows are all part of life for some Enfield residents.

Enfield Homes tenants and leaseholders from New Southgate's Ladderswood Estate who went to a public meeting at the Grove Road Christian Centre on Friday vented these frustrations and others at the organisation's chief executive Bob Heapy.

Mr Heapy said Enfield Homes staff “were well aware of the challenging issues” on the Ladderswood Way estate and had been working hard to resolve them.

People at the meeting complained about the pervading smell of dog mess around the buildings, urine in the lifts and dirt and rubbish everywhere.

One resident said: “You can't even push the buttons in the lifts because there's spit dribbling down on them. It's embarrassing when I bring my friends there. It's full of germs.”

Mr Heapy expressed concern about antisocial behaviour but said the blocks were deep cleaned periodically, the last time being last year.

But residents disputed his claim.

One resident, who did not want to be named, told him: “I used to live on the sixth floor and I was there for 18 years and it's never been cleaned. We used to do it ourselves.”

“We've been neglected for so long,” another resident added.

Residents said caretakers were not able to solve the problems.

One leaseholder from Highview block said she was paying extra for a live-in caretaker but the one they had went home at 4pm.

“When he comes back in on Monday he nearly has a nervous breakdown because of what happens at the weekend,” she said.

Southgate MP David Burrowes, chairing the meeting, said that councils were moving away from live-in caretakers but residents queried why they were still paying for one.

Several people also said the caretaker in Curtis House was rarely available.

“If you ever knock on his door he's either in his pyjamas or not there,” said one Ladderswood resident, although others said he did work early in the morning.

“I live on the ground floor and Curtis House and people throw their rubbish onto the floor outside. It's not always cleared up,” another resident added. “I've seen one can there for five weeks. The caretaker isn't doing his job properly.”

Mr Heapy said Enfield Homes would look into the claims.

People who work on the housing customer service phone lines were also criticised. Residents complained they were rude, yawned at them while talking and would not take their complaints seriously unless several residents complained of the same issues.

Mr Heapy apologised to residents, saying that was unacceptable. He said: “Our officers are trained to treat everyone with respect."

Other concerns were sub-letting of properties and tenants resorting to gluing front doors open because of a lack of specialist keys, which are only issued from a council office in Enfield Town.

Mr Heapy said that policy was changing.

He also assured residents that things would improve. Recently-approved loans of £200 million, he said, would mean they would see some big capital works as a result of Enfield Homes having recently been awarded two stars from the Audit Commission.