Evicted residents moved out of the borough have spoken out about the rat infested conditions and lack of clean drinking water at their "uninhabitable" accommodation.

Residents at a shared temporary home in Sewardstone Road in Epping Forest said they have exhausted all avenues of complaints to Ascham Homes, the housing manager for Waltham Forest council, and maintain their health has been put at risk.

A six month-old baby is currently recovering in hospital after a tracheotomy operation when a mucus blockage developed in her throat.

The residents believe it was caused as a "direct reaction" of the baby coming into contact with open sewage that seeps through the main corridor's floor.

Expectant mother Natalie Saidi, 20, said she is now worried for the safety of her unborn child.

"Six people have to use a shower next to my room and when they do faeces floods into my room through the carpet. I have to sleep next to worms that are drawn to it", she said.

Another resident, Lucy Jackson, 35, was evicted from her home of three years in Dawlish Road, Leyton when her contract ended and her application for housing benefits failed. She was left in rent arrears of £10,000.

Since March, Ms Jackson has been paying £200 a week along with eight other people at the six-bedroom accommodation.

There is no working fire alarm, no internet access, a rat infestation and the tap water is considered 'undrinkable' due its proximity to raw sewage.

The residents say they are forced to use the neighbouring petrol station for access to clean drinking water.

Ms Jackson claims she was "shocked" when she first viewed her new accommodation.

She said: "It is so wrong.

"I couldn't believe the conditions, the tempers were getting frayed between everyone.

"The first shower I had faeces started rising out of the plug all around my feet. I just stood there thinking 'oh my god I am standing in poo.'

"I had to bleach my feet and I am never getting in there again.

"We have been left in purgatory, this is supposed to be temporary but we haven't been given an end date despite asking numerous times.

"Ascham Homes won't even come down to visit our property to see our complaints.

"We want each individual case here to be reviewed and we want to be housed back in the borough.

"But our health is the most important thing and that is rapidly deteriorating."

The council has also moved families it cannot rehouse locally into housing blocks as far away as Luton.

The cramped conditions see families of six or more in one-bedroom flats without a deadline for when they will be allowed to return.

All of the residents arrived from late March this year.

Councillor Tom Shaw, from Luton Borough council, told Luton on Sunday that the authority only knew about the new residents after children tried to attend a school which was full.

He said: "What we've been talking about for two years is happening but now [Waltham Forest council] are actually buying complete blocks and moving people in.

"But they're not just moving them in and putting two people in a one-bedroom place, they're actually overcrowding some of the blocks"

Waltham Forest council have been approached for comment.