A large pool of sewage from a broken drain is repeatedly putting the health and safety of people in a Streatham cul-de-sac at risk.

Children and adults living in Chalcot Mews have to scale a large brick wall to exit their housing estate to avoid wading through the foot-deep pool of effluent each time the drain overflows.

Disabled residents have been forced to go through the sewage in their wheelchairs, after the drain located yards from Streatham High Road, overflowed three times in the past two months.

Now some 100 disgruntled residents of the 14 homes in the mews, run by the New World Housing Association, are demanding the housing association finally acts to fix the problem, after it flooded again last Wednesday.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “We can’t go on living like this. Sometimes the waste is there for a week before it is removed. It is filthy, it stinks, and it is a health risk to us all.”

He said the problem had occurred once or twice a year for the past three years, but had occurred much more frequently in recent months.

Lambeth Council’s environmental health department has been asked to investigate those responsible for the drains for creating a public health risk.

A flood in May was so serious the stinking water overflowed onto Streatham High Road.

The drain is also close to a number of restaurants.

Lambeth council have said it is carefully monitoring the situation.

A spokeswoman for the New World Housing Association said it was looking for a long term solution to solve the problem of the drain which she said was shared between the association, privately owned properties and some commercial units on the High Road.

She added: “The recent blockage has now been cleared.

"The association is aware that this is a recurring issue and is investigating the causes of the problem at the moment.”

A drainage truck was used to suck up the effluent.

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