Furious council house tenants have demanded action be taken to clean up the stairwells in their building, after some residents started using them as a toilet.

Residents of Meldone, a housing estate in Sheephouse Way in Old Malden, launched a petition that calls on the council to improve the state of their housing block.

Bill Turner, 72, said the stairwells were covered in urine and dirt and he had seen used nappies discarded around the grounds of the building.

Mr Turner, who has lived in Meldone for more than 30 years, said: “The walls and stairs are absolutely filthy.

“In the last two years it has become really bad. I have made several complaints but, so far, nothing has been done.”

Old Malden Councillor David Fraser handed in a petition on Wednesday, on behalf of the residents, to the Malden and Coombe Neighbourhood Committee.

The petition said: “We, the residents of Meldone in Sheephouse Way, urgently request the council to eradicate the considerable odour coming from the stairwell by steam cleaning the stairs and walls.

“The walls should be redecorated to improve the environment and the health of the tenants.”

But a spokesman for the council said its housing department “does not currently have the resources” to redecorate the stairs, even though he agreed the work needed to be done.

He said: “Unfortunately Meldone has been subject to a particularly high level of antisocial behaviour.

“The council is, however, preparing to improve the waste management regime at the block.”