Whitechapel grandmother feared for grandson's safety after window incident

A grandmother in Whitechapel has expressed her deep concern for her grandson's safety, stating she waited four months for her landlord to address a window from which her grandson allegedly fell 20 feet. She told MyLondon she has been living in constant apprehension for the child's well-being.

The incident occurred on May 25, according to the grandmother, who claims she requested a safety lock for the window from her housing association, Riverside, on the same day. She described ongoing difficulties in getting repairs done at the property, where she also cares for two grandchildren and a severely disabled husband.

Conflicting accounts of reporting

Riverside has stated that on the day of the incident, they were informed the grandson had been stopped and that the resident had not reported a fall from the window. The grandmother disputes this, asserting she had previously reported attempts by the child to jump and that a fall did occur.

She recounted her fear that her grandson, who she says has no fear of heights and has attempted to jump before, might repeat the action. The grandmother stated she now makes the child sleep in her bed to prevent him from being in his room alone.

The child sustained no injuries from the fall, but the grandmother expressed relief, noting the potential for serious harm or worse from the height. She also highlighted issues with her front door, which she said was not locking properly, posing further safety risks.

Landlord's response and actions

After MyLondon contacted Riverside, the window in question was secured with additional safety measures to restrict its opening. The front door was also repaired to ensure it locks correctly. Riverside offered an apology to the grandmother for any distress caused.

A spokesperson for Riverside said: "We take the safety of our residents very seriously and are sorry for any worry or concern caused to the resident relating to the safety of her grandchildren. All windows in the resident’s home are already fitted with window restrictors. One of our operatives attended the resident’s home on 23 September to put additional safety measures in place to prevent the window opening any further than 10cm without the use of a key. An additional chain was also fitted to the front door."

Riverside confirmed they are aware of the resident's request to move to a ground-floor flat. Her Housing Officer and Tenancy Sustainment Officer have met with her and the family’s social worker to discuss the process for a potential relocation. The association noted that such moves are managed with the local authority and availability of suitable properties is not directly controlled by them, but they will continue to offer support.

A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets Council stated: "We are disheartened to hear about the issues in this resident's home. We work closely with housing associations across Tower Hamlets and expect them to maintain their homes to a decent standard. The resident has done the right thing by raising these issues with their landlord. Their next steps would be to make a formal complaint to their landlord, to report the issues to our environmental health team, and to complain to the Housing Ombudsman."