Islington neighbours were left living in increasingly damp flats for months, at one point falsely fearing it may be sewage water.

Islington Gazette: Islington's Sandra King. Picture: Sandra KingIslington's Sandra King. Picture: Sandra King (Image: Archant)

Sandra King has been living in a nine-storey block of flats on Hornsey Lane, managed by housing association Clarion, for eight years.

In July, Sandra and her neighbours reported a water seeping through the walls of their flats and in the hallway, around the window sills and door frames, and running down the outside of the block.

Sandra said the building has experienced persistent plumbing issues over many years, which she described as a “structural problem”.

“It’s like this all the time,” she said. “We have leaks all the time.”

Islington Gazette: Damage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra KingDamage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra King (Image: Archant)

READ MORE: Mum who’s been moved four times blasts Clarion over ‘shocking’ state of its homesDespite having reported the problem to Clarion, the problem escalated and when a roofer told Sandra it may be leaking from a blocked sewage pipe, she contacted this newspaper.

“When the roofer came in and said there could be a blockage in the waste system between the floors, I burst into tears because I thought it was just rusty water,” Sandra said.

“It makes me feel unclean but I couldn’t do anything. I just felt disgusted with it all.”

Following intervention from the Gazette, Clarion finished fixing the leak in September.

Islington Gazette: Damage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra KingDamage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra King (Image: Archant)

A spokesperson said: “We first received the report of a leak on July 27 and our operative attended the property as an emergency to investigate.

“Unfortunately they were unable to locate the source of the leak on that occasion and further investigations were undertaken by our gas contractor in an attempt to resolve the issue.

“The leak was identified as a water leak and at no point was sewage entering the property.

“We have been able to determine the leak stemmed from the flat above, but the location of the pipes in the upstairs property has made it difficult to access.

Islington Gazette: Damage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra KingDamage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra King (Image: Archant)

“After further visits to both properties, we have now isolated the leaking pipe and made the required repairs to fix it.”

They said the wellbeing of residents is a “top priority,” and “now the leak is resolved we will be bringing the repair up to a finished standard”.

Clarion Housing is the largest housing association in the country, owning and managing 125,000 homes across more than 170 local authorities.

Islington Gazette: Damage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra KingDamage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra King (Image: Archant)

Islington Gazette: Damage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra KingDamage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra King (Image: Archant)

Islington Gazette: Damage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra KingDamage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra King (Image: Archant)

Islington Gazette: Damage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra KingDamage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra King (Image: Archant)

Islington Gazette: Damage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra KingDamage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra King (Image: Archant)

Islington Gazette: Damage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra KingDamage caused by the leak in a block of flats in Hornsey Lane. Picture: Sandra King (Image: Archant)