Residents suffering from the revolting infestation say they have been “forced” to become fly experts with the insects having plagued them since in the 1990s – and the council still hasn’t sorted it out.
Tower block residents say they have been left unable to open their windows for weeks due to a horrifying fly infestation. Skincrawling footage shows the top floor of the building loaded with absolutely thousands of Cluster flies.
Fed up residents on the top floor of the Robertshaw building in Sheffield, South Yorks., have had to put up with the insects invasion, with insects buzzing around windows and inside the apartments.
According to locals, the Cluster flies make a journey from the Peak District to the building so they can hibernate and lay their eggs in the cladding over the winter before emerging again in the spring.
Cluster flies are 8mm long and are a dark grey colour with small patches of gold hair on their back and long wings. Forming an army, they infiltrate attics and wall voids, seeking refuge from the cold.
Resident and former councillor Peter MacLoughlin, 81, moved into the building in 1988 and says he has been “forced” to become an expert on the seasonal pest.
He said: “The number of times I’ve complained about it only to be told it’s the job of another department, or told they can’t because of budget. I’m sorry but I’ve had enough of it.
“If I can’t get a response or action from the council, when I’m a former cabinet member who knows the system, what about all the vulnerable people in all these flats? What hope do they have?
“You think of the gaps from the cladding and the heat coming off the building, and you’ve got a lovely, warm home for them. Very cosy.
“And, all the while, one bin chute of Robertshaw has been blocked for over two months, meaning we have a fruit fly infestation inside the building as well and an appalling, obnoxious stench.
“I’m fed up of it, to be honest – it’s become unbearable. You cannot open your windows at all or they will get inside, and with no fresh air you end up living in a stuffy flat where any mistake means flies getting into your home and into your food.
“I cannot use fly spray because of a medical conditions I have with my chest. We left a window open by mistake last night and had to spend two hours squashing them with a damp cloth. It cannot carry on like this.”
A spokesperson for Sheffield City Council said surveys have previously been conducted to address the flies, but that “usual treatments” pose a risk to other wildlife, making defeating the infestation challenging.
The spokesperson said: “Other actions have been suggested to tenants, which have been rejected. Another environmental survey has been commissioned for this week which will at possible ways to clear the flies without harming other wildlife.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
#Tower #block #residents #infested #thousands #flies #leaving #unable #open #windows
