A DOMESTIC abuse survivor has said she feels "ignored" after Kingston council failed to pick up her calls when she discovered her front door lock had been broken.

Violetta Nagy, 43, said she was left worried for her 12-year-old daughter's safety after not being able to get through to the council to request an urgent repair of the front door of her temporary accommodation, which could not be locked from the outside.

Ms Nagy told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she was left in danger after making the "scary" discovery on Thursday morning (August 22).

She spent nearly three years in hostels with her daughter before the Kingston Council moved them into the flat in October 2021, after they fled domestic violence in December 2018. She decided to waive her anonymity to highlight issues she claimed she has faced with housing services since.

A council spokesperson said it has tried to progress several outstanding issues in Ms Nagy's flat, but it has not been able to due to lack of access to the property.

They added the authority has now arranged for a locksmith to visit the flat, after being made aware of the incident. The property is owned by a private landlord and leased to the council, which manages it.

Ms Nagy said she realised the front door had been damaged when she tried to the lock the door on Thursday morning and the keys would not go through.

She immediately called the Met Police, who found the lock had been glued together.

A Met Police spokesperson told the LDRS officers attended Ms Nagy's flat following reports of a burglary.

They said: "Officers attended the scene and established that a set of locks had been glued together. The investigation has now been closed due to lack of evidence."

Ms Nagy said: "It's quite dangerous. I've got my 12-year-old daughter in here. We're able to lock it from the inside, but from the outside I can't lock the door."

Call records, seen by the LDRS, show the mum tried to ring numbers for council housing services four times on Thursday morning – including the temporary accommodation team. She said nobody picked up or called her back.

Ms Nagy said she privately arranged for a locksmith to visit the flat on Friday afternoon (August 23) and paid for the lock to be changed, as she could not leave the property otherwise.

The mum previously told the LDRS she feels 'neglected' by the council as the flat has been plagued by leaks, plumbing issues and mould since she moved in, which has taken a toll on her mental health. In April this year, she said, parts of the ceiling almost fell on her due to a major leak in the living room.

An email to the council from a domestic violence worker in June last year, seen by the LDRS, supported Ms Nagy's request 'for more suitable secure accommodation' so that she and her daughter can 'rebuild their lives'.

Regarding the most recent issue with her front door, Ms Nagy said: "We're suffering because of what they put us through and they're still ignoring us."

A council spokesperson said: "We are committed to doing all we can to provide quality housing for residents and ensure people in the borough have a safe and comfortable place to live.

"The national housing crisis is a critical situation, with acute pressure in London which has seen some of the highest rent increases in the country. This has pushed many households to the brink, making them reliant on the council. There are currently around 970 homeless households in the borough, who we have a legal duty to support.

"The council has tried to address the resident's concerns as much as possible but we have not been able to progress a number of outstanding issues due to the lack of access to the property. As soon as we were made aware of this incident, we arranged for a locksmith to attend the property."