Several Knowsley Housing Trust properties have suffered from fires in recent weeks. Some of the properties are unoccupied, but the most recent fire was in Quarry Green Heights when kids set alight a mattress and other rubbish in a caged off section near the bin chutes on a lower floor. Flats on the floor affected had some damage from smoke and there may have been people treated for smoke inhalation. The fire happened at about 10.00pm on Sun 01 Aug and could easily have caused deaths had it occurred in the early hours. The photo above shows the aftermath of the fire.

Other fires include the 'masisonette' flats on Westhead Avenue near the Molly Pub, the flats last remaining tenant has now left but there were several fires whilst tenants were still occupying the flats. Kirkby Fire Fighters have tackled numerous blazes at these 3 story maisonette flats which were at one time, very desirable living places, well kept and maintained.

Pensioner flats continue to be burnt, the few unoccupied ones left that is. It is amazing to see that some of the pensioner flats, all built at the same time, are in great condition still, whilst others have been demolished due to repeated vandalism and arson attacks. Prior to the flats being 'unoccupied' the real problem can be seen as just one bad tenant generally messes things up for the other 5 or 7 neighbours who live in the pensioner flats, named as such because they were once occupied by pensioners and mature people. In the 80's, younger people were moved in to share with the elderly, not a clever idea is it? Especially when the walls are thin and it's only of late that some of the remaining pensioner flats have actually been double glazed. This proves that structurally, the flats are ok; it is the management of the flats which is appalling. Knowsley Housing Trust now manages the pensioner flats and all other flats including the high rise tower blocks.

Below - more pensioner flats torched, these flats are in Scoter road and were torched last month


In another act of stupidity by KHT management, we can reveal that after the recent demolition of pensioner flats on Westhead Avenue, the contractors erected a steel fence with a gate. However, the contractors did not deem it part of there contract/duty to buy a padlock to secure the gate, nor, it seems, did they call KHT who are now the owners of the land. A neighbouring tenant had to purchase a padlock himself and fit it onto the gate. Now, we discover that the actual fence, which is bolted, seems to have had the bolts tightened by hand - the local kids can unscrew them! - This in turn has led the beleaguered neighbouring tenant to have to tighten the bolts by using a spanner. The demolition of the pensioner flats brings about a security problem as the fenced off piece of land allows easy access to back gardens.