They were living by candlelight in atrocious conditions, now finally something is being done

Elderly tenants who were living without power in a condemned block of flats have finally been moved out while the building is made safe.

As the Manchester Evening News reported in November, several people were living by candlelight in atrocious and dangerous conditions on Baguley Crescent, on the outskirts of Middleton. The flats were condemned by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service in May 2023 following a blaze in which three people were rescued from the second floor.

It's thought the service had concerns about the safety of fire escapes and the danger of fire spreading through the building. A second prohibition notice was also issued in May last year.

Then in October 1, the building's power supply was cut off due to what Electricity North West described as 'safety reasons'. The company said there was 'evidence of an illegal and highly dangerous connection bypassing the meter'.

But despite that, a number of residents continued to live in the dank and crumbling three-storey building, saying they had 'nowhere else to go'. They included 68-year-old Tony Henry, who speaking at the time, said he had been relying on neighbours and friends to bring food for him.

He added: "They want us out, but we have nowhere to go. They need to put the electric back on and give people time to make arrangements to move.

"But nobody knows what's going on. It's wrong, it's shameful. They shouldn't be treating us like animals in a pen. I can't handle it, it's too much."

It's not clear how and why the flats were allowed to fall into such a dangerous state. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and Bury council, whose boundaries the flats fall under, took enforcement action against the owners of the block, which houses 12