‘It’s so cold’: leaseholders left without central heating in London block

Man in 80s and mother of baby among residents hit by cold conditions amid dispute over who is responsible for repair

Dozens of leaseholders, including a man in his 80s, the mother of an eight-week-old baby and a woman in remission from cancer, have been left without central heating since October in a block for which the freehold is owned by a company that has made nearly 12m.

With temperatures already dropping below zero and Arctic winds forecast to blow in colder weather next week, the oldest residents have been huddling in hats and blankets to keep warm at Lee Court, an art deco block of 48 apartments in Lewisham, London. Some walls are mouldy and residents complain they are covered in condensation.