Christmas dinner was a packet of peanuts for a pensioner because an infestation of flies has taken over her kitchen and left her “almost suicidal”.

Ada Gulsin, 73, has been unable to cook her own meals since “thousands” of flies took over her council flat in Hornsey Lane Estate, off Hazelville Road, Archway, seven weeks ago.

The insects have infiltrated her fridge and microwave and she says she is unable even to make a cup of tea without dead flies floating in it.

Mrs Gulsin, who suffers from lung disease and is on antidepressants, contacted Islington Council but a visitor from pest control simply advised her to put up fly catchers – which have not solved the problem.

‘It’s disgusting’

She says that the flies, which she believes are coming from a faulty drain, are causing her health to deteriorate and that she fears for her safety.

She said: “I just can’t live like this any longer, it’s disgusting.

“For Christmas dinner I had a packet of salted peanuts because I’m too scared to cook, they’re even coming out of my microwave.

“I’ve got four fly catchers hanging in my kitchen full of dead flies but it doesn’t make any difference.”

In her desperation Mrs Gulsin went to the town hall on Christmas Eve with two sheets of fly paper to complain and seek help but was told to go to environmental health – where she says she was told staff only deal with private tenants.

Guidance on Islington Council’s website says that its pest control service won’t tackle flies – only rats, mice, cockroaches, Pharoah ants, bedbugs, fleas and wasps.

Mrs Gulsin’s son Robert Melvin, who lives in Scotland, said that his mother’s living conditions have left at the end of her tether.

Mr Melvin, 53, who works as a sheltered housing team leader in Edinburgh, said: “The thing that concerns me is that the estate management board has been given the same run around by Islington Council as my mother has.

“Environmental services are saying it’s not detrimental to her health but it’s in her food every day and she is already very ill.

“When I spoke to her the other day she was almost suicidal.”

After being contacted by the Gazette, Islington Council sent Environmental Health to the flat on Monday.

A council spokesman said: “Our pest control team have sprayed to control the numbers.

“They have also identified that there may be a drainage issue contributing to the problem. Our housing team will be visiting to investigate further.”