A single mother and former foster care child from Kingston has been told that she will have to stay in her "unsafe" accommodation in New Malden despite numerous complaints to her landlord.

Naz Zarei was placed in her current home by Kingston Council five years ago with a PA from Achieving for Children.

However, from the moment she moved into the property, she started experiencing problems from a neighbour in the flat below her who is said to be struggling with her mental health.

In an exclusive interview with Kingston Nub News, Ms Zarei said: "The first day I was here, I had my door knocked off the hinges physically by this neighbour, to which I called my landlord, London and Quadrant Association (L&Q), and they told me that my neighbour has severe, severe mental health issues."

Ms Zarei says that her neighbour knocked her door off its hinges (Credit: Naz Zarei)

Ms Zarei says she has experienced several incidents, some physical and violent, with her neighbour, which has impacted hers and her son's mental health.

Because of this, she has consistently submitted complaints to and sought help from her landlord, London & Quadrant Housing Association (L&Q), and Kingston Council in the hope that she and her son could move to a new home.

However, after an investigation into Ms Zarei's numerous complaints, L&Q has now decided that her situation is not worthy of a move, stating that its transfer list "is only open for emergency and medical priority application".

In a letter sent to Ms Zarei regarding the investigation, L&Q said: "Please note that a priority need would be where a resident has mobility needs or requires adaptations that cannot be provided in their current home, a threat to their life, with police etc confirmation, residents are downsizing to a smaller property, or there is major repair works, that resident must be moved for the works to be carried out.

"We have advised residents, that they can either contact their local council for rehousing, but we cannot guarantee acceptance, or apply for a mutual exchange via home swapper, Housing exchange, Facebook swap pages & Housing moves."

However, Ms Zarei reports that she has reached out to both Kingston Council and the police in the past, yet has had no help from either authority.

Speaking about the investigation outcome, Ms Zarei said: "They [L&Q] hold no accountability of anything."

The single mother says that she had a meeting with Kingston Council and Achieving for Children yesterday morning (Wednesday) about the situation.

She said: "The lady sat down and went through my evidence bundle - pictures showing damages to my front door and internal home due to the banging and harassment - and she was shocked lost for words as to why the landlord hasn't stepped in.

"She also spoke with my nine-year-old and asked him how he's feeling, and he referred to this neighbour as the "monster lady" and said he's scared in case he gets hit by her or her children."

Ms Zarei continued: "I absolutely bawled my eyes out. I told her about how my son's safety and mental health is clearly damaged due to the ongoing harassment and verbal abuse and assault we've endured over the summer holidays and our living environment for the past five years."

Ms Zarei claims that  L&Q have "actively blocked" any support she has had. She added that the lady at the meeting said she will try "have someone higher up" contact L&Q.

However, Ms Zarei feels hopeless.

She said: "Regardless of all these promises and words everyone is giving me, me and my child are still here.

"We're still enduring this torment we're supposed to call "life". Everyone sees the impact this situation is having on me and my son, but nothing is being done - we're being passed around like pass the parcel."

Ms Zarei says that her son told the lady at the meeting that he was "scared" that the neihgbour might hit him or his mum.

She added: We need to get out of here urgently."

Ms Zarei says she now has to decide whether she should homeschool her son as her neighbour has previously targeted the pair while on the way to school.

She said: "My son's school term is about to start and I have to make a decision whether to put him actively at risk daily to just get him into school, or I home school him, not out of choice, but out of safeguarding my own child's wellbeing and have us both isolated and stuck indoors while we do home education which isn't good as it'll affect his social aspect of living.

"He should not be in this situation enduring any of this and yet, despite the evidence L&Q have seen with their own eyes and agreed and stated how disturbing this situation is, again we are left here."

Ms Zarei continued: "I am extremely burnt out. I am supposed to actively protect my child and myself while burning on empty, chasing everyone, crying to everyone, screaming for help, but no help is given and nothing is done .

I don't know how far they (L&Q) will let this situation go but I am extremely petrified what will happen to us next. God forbid we get stabbed or pushed down the communal stairs because this neighbour has a random mental breakdown and we get the end of the stick of it all.

"I'm actively a human shield for my child. I'm petrified. I'm genuinely so exhausted mentally, emotionally, and no one has helped us.

"We get promised empty words that's all. Damage control is what everyone is doing instead of saving us."

Ms Zarei says that she cries "every single day" when she puts her son to bed "out of exhaustion and fear".

She said: "I cry in my pillow and think what else can I do? Where else can we go? How else can we escape this situation. I feel like a failure as a mother to not be able to just take my son away from this all.

"I feel like no matter how hard I'm trying no one is helping us and I can't understand why"

Charlie Culshaw, Director of Housing Management & LQ Living, previously told Nub News: "We take concerns about antisocial behaviour very seriously and understand the impact this can have on residents.

A Kingston Council spokesperson added: "Kingston Council takes all safeguarding matters extremely seriously, and, as Ms Zarei's current tenancy is not with a Kingston Housing Register partner, we have contacted Ms Zarei to encourage her to complete a Housing Advice Application, so that the Council can properly assess the circumstances and has all the necessary information to determine any emergency or interim housing support options that may be available.

"We are sorry to hear about Ms Zarei's situation and understand that such circumstances can be deeply distressing. We strongly encourage Ms Zarei to complete a Housing Advice Application as the appropriate next step to ensure her circumstances can be reviewed in full."