Tividale estate in shocking state of disrepair

A housing estate is in such a 'shocking state' of disrepair, police cannot tell if vandalism has actually taken place there, residents claim.
The poor condition of premises at Trafalgar Court in Tividale mean officers cannot tell if reports of criminal damage are legitimate or not, said Sgt Sam Archer, who is responsible for the neighbourhood.
Windows are smashed at many of the homes, window frames can be seen to be rotting from the outside, and many of the vacant flats have been boarded up after repeated break-ins.
She said: "Trafalgar Court, Tividale, is in a shocking state. We are having reports of crime occurring but due to the poor state of the premises and garages we cannot tell if the reports are legitimate or not.
People living on the estate, which is made up of a series of flats on top of garages, say a number of the properties are vacant and being targeted by nuisance children because they have 'nothing else to do'.
They say many of the homes are privately owned by a number of landlords but maintenance issues are being regularly ignored and the estate is becoming gradually more rundown.