Two distressed reptiles were evacuated from a Battersea council flat on Saturday after a woman left them alone for five months, it is alleged.

Maria Penfold moved to a larger council flat near Lavender Hill in September, but refused to give the keys to her old flat back to the council.

Neighbours say she left furniture behind as well as several pets, including a cat, which could be heard calling from inside.

One neighbour said she saw through the window mountains of rubbish, cockroaches and mice and that people had started trying to feed the animals through the letterbox.

The council wrote Ms Penfold a number of letters and finally broke into the flat in Wolsey Court, Westbridge Road, where it says it found some animals in distress.

When the RSPCA attended the scene with police, they recovered two living reptiles found there.

A spokesperson for the council said: "The RSPCA are now investigating allegations of neglect and cruelty.

"The tenant has accrued rent arrears on this property.

"We are now considering a range of actions to recover that money to the public purse."

A neighbour said Ms Penfold had her hands full bringing up seven children in the three-bedroom flat and that one of them died last year.