A CHRISTIAN charity has apologised to residents who have been living in rat-infested squalid homes despite almost a decade of complaints.

Tenants living in Salvation Army properties in Hadleigh have been subjected to years of damp, rat and insect-infested homes, with frequent water and heating failures, a Guardian and ITV News investigation has found.

The charity, which last year announced it will build a new £32 million London headquarters, own 40 homes in Hadleigh, with 26 concentrated on the two worst-affected streets - Mount Zion and Seaview Terrace.

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Residents, some whom had lived in their homes for more than 30 years, say they have been documenting complaints since 2014 but to no avail.

Commissioner Anthony Cotterill, the Salvation Army's territorial commander, admitted the condition of the homes were “unacceptable” adding that residents had “every right to be angry”.

“It is clear that we let down the tenants of Seaview Terrace and Mount Zion and I am deeply sorry,” he said.

Mr Cotterill claimed the Covid pandemic had postponed work which had been scheduled to begin in 2020. But he promised that the charity was taking “urgent action to right these wrongs”.

He added that a newly-appointed property director died in early 2021, further slowing efforts to adrres the issues.

“However, I fully acknowledge that this does not account for the overall length of time it has taken to put right these wrongs,” he conceded.

In November 2021 the charity started work to survey all tenanted properties in Hadleigh and Benfleet.

Mr Cotterill added: “Over Christmas we refurbished some empty properties on the estate and nearby to act as temporary homes for tenants who may have to move out while large scale work is being completed.

 “While I am confident that we are taking the right action now, I do not deny that we took too long to act.”

Castle Point Council has now served improvement notices on some of the properties, forcing the Salvation Army to improve standards.

Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris said she has been meeting with senior members of the Salvation Army for several years, fighting for improvements on behalf of residents.