NEIGHBOURS of a dilapidated house in Church Walk South fear it is becoming a health hazard.

No one is believed to have lived in the property for the past 18 months and trees and bushes on the plot have become badly overgrown.

Several old cars, along with two motorbikes have been left on the driveway to gather moss and mould and people living close by are worried the site might be attracting rodents.

Richard Kimber, chairman of the Rodbourne Cheney Residents Association, is leading the charge to get the building sorted out.

He said: “The owners have just let it go.

“We’re all scared because there could be vermin living in there.

“I don’t understand why it’s like that, it’s an atrocious place to be living close to. An absolute disgrace,” he said.

“The building is quite a nice building but it’s a health hazard. We could even get squatters.”

Richard added: “You can hardly get to the front door. It’s not a nice advert for living down here.

“I don’t want this to be neighbour versus neighbour because that’s not what we’re about.

“But there needs to be some respect for the property.

“Even if it’s not lived in, we just want it cleaned up so it’s nice to live next to.”

He added: “There are so many homeless after housing, I don’t understand how this house can be left empty.”

Brian Hunt and Janet Jones have lived next to the house for 15 years and they fear there could be a fire before anything is done to tidy up the property.

Brian said: “It’s absolutely disgusting. We’re one of the highest rated streets in Swindon. It lets the area down.

“All we’re asking is that he tidies it up. All the other houses are clean. Just tidy it.”

Janet added: “It’s a fire hazard. One light and it could all go up

“One of the rooms is absolutely filled with cardboard and you can’t even get round into the garden.

“We had no gripe with the owners, they weren’t obnoxious or anything, it’s just a shame really.

“They had a nice plum and pear tree in the garden too but you can’t get to that now, the whole area is overgrown with weeds and bramble.”

The Advertiser has approached the owner of the property for a comment but he had not responded as we went to press.