Hackbridge residents say their lives are being made a misery by dust coming from a building site.

Breathing problems, dirty windows and blocked-up drains are among problems which residents on Hackbridge Road say are caused by dust from the Barratt Developments PLC site where more than 700 new apartments are being built.

Michelle Farmer, who used to live at the nearby Red Lion pub where her daughter is landlady, said she had to move out following advice from her doctor, but still goes back to help her daughter clean away dust.

She said: “It’s had a long-term effect on my breathing. I get a chest infection every three months.”

“Every morning we have to get up and wipe dust from our windows.

“If you leave it for two or three days - God help you! Every time you go out to your car it needs cleaning or you won’t see out the windows.”

Issues with dust have been going on for more than two years, said Mrs Farmer, despite a brick wall separating the pub and the building site.

Another Hackbridge Road resident, Dennis Wainford, 82, said: “It’s like a bloody dirt track. You can’t open your windows on our front at all because of the dust that comes in. It really is bad.”

Mr Wainford said that a dust cleaning wagon was unable to wash their road because of the number of cars there.

Three months ago signs were displayed warning residents not to park on the road from 9am-6pm on one particular day to allow for cleaning.

Mr Wainford recalled: “It worked well but the road is completely filthy again and I think it should be cleaned once a week.

“It’s such a state now. When it rains now the drains get full of dirt and dust and it floods onto the path. I have to hose the front of my house every fortnight.”

Meanwhile, a public meeting took place last Friday (September 22) at The Red Lion at which MP for Carshalton and Wallington Tom Brake heard residents concerns.

He confirmed to The Sutton Guardian that he is taking the concerns up with the builders, Barratt Homes Developments.

Sutton Guardian has contacted Barratt Homes Developments for a comment.

Mrs Farmer added: “Our next step is to go to the environmental agency and do a pollution test.

"Tom Brake was good. He listened to our concerns and gave positive feedback.”