View report page

58
SECTION 93, PUBLIC HEALTH (LONDON) ACT. 1936
A somewhat unusual case was dealt with under this
Section which enables the Borough Council to deal with the
removal of obnoxious matter from premises.
In quite a good class residential part of the Borough
a complaint was received of smells emanating from rooms on the
first and second floors. The rooms were locked and it was
impossible to contact the tenant, a woman who only visited the
premises occasionally. Finally the fire brigade was called in
to deal with a small outbreak on the second floor and the entrance
doors were forced open. This revealed most deplorable and
insanitary conditions. Apparently, no household refuse had been
collected for years and filth, refuse, stale food and obnoxious
matter of every foul kind was stacked in the room from floor to
ceiling. The necessary Notice was served and the Council after
24 hours removed no less than 3½ tons of filth from the rooms.
The tenant never returned and has not been traced. The owner
has applied for possession of the rooms.
The following photograph gives some slight idea of
the conditions prevailing:-
Second floor back room right