The Liberal Democrats leader and councillors met with residents left increasingly frustrated over a disused and “rat infested” property in Whitton.

According to neighbours the derelict house at 310 Nelson Road, described as a “magnet for fly-tipping”, has been left in disrepair for years.

See related: Calls for action on ‘disgusting’ and ‘rat infested’ disused property in Whitton

Sir Vince wrote to wrote to SEP Properties, the company that owns it, demanding action.

Following this, the real estate firm contacted the council and agreed to move the skip away and clean up the property this week.

A spokeswoman for the Whitton and Heathfield Lib Dems said: “With breeze blocks coming away, the fencing starting to lean and the mess seemingly encroaching onto the public pavements this work cannot start soon enough.

“We need to make sure though that we continue to apply pressure to SEP because unless the building work is finished or at the very least the site properly secured it is highly likely that the anti-social behaviour that this property has attracted will continue.”

SEP was given planning permission two years ago to build a block of four flats with a ground floor retail unit.

Work began in 2017 but stopped shortly afterwards after an application to put in a chicken shop was rejected.

Neighbours have complained about anti-social behaviour, vans pulling up in the middle of the night and “dumping complete kitchens”, and the property generally being an “eyesore”.