Scandal

Polish priest Father Alexo Makulski, pictured right, claimed workers have had to live without furniture, including beds, cooking utensils and hot water and claim the flats were over-crowded and bathrooms were shared by up to 15 people.

The landlord of the flats could face charges for breaching fire safety regulations.

A POLISH priest today claimed that more than 30 immigrant workers had been forced to live in shocking conditions in a former old people's home.

Father Alexo Makulski was speaking as an investigation was conducted into the standard of the block of privately-owned flats in Mill Hill, Blackburn.

Today it was revealed fire chiefs had put an order on the premises banning it from being used to house more than one person.

Up to 20 of the workers have now been moved by the landlord to properties in Dukes Brow - but there are now concerns about the standard of the alternative accommodation.

The workers claim they have had to live without furniture, including beds, cooking utensils and hot water and claim the flats in the former old people's home were over-crowded and bathrooms were shared by up to 15 people.

The landlord of the flats - which were originally a Lancashire County Council old people's home - could face charges for breaching fire safety regulations. He was unavailable to comment today.

The joint investigation by Blackburn with Darwen Council and Lancashire Fire and Rescue began after a chip pan fire at the flats in Shorrock Lane on Thursday.

Station officer, Kevin Gibson, said: "Heavy smoke was coming from a window and people were inside the building. We had to evacuate residents, but it was difficult as many didn't speak any English.

"One man needed oxygen after inhaling smoke and another was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation."

Father Alexo Makulski, from the Polish Church in Preston New Road, said: "A lot of people from Poland came to Blackburn to work about three months ago but their accommodation is very, very bad.

"I went to visit them at Shorrock Lane. They didn't even have hot water and were made to sleep on mattresses on the floor.

"It was terrible to see, they were like squatters, particularly on the second and third floor."

One 22-year-old worker said: "There are another four people in my flat now, but before that there were 12 of us in there - all paying £45 per week.

"We haven't got any furniture and didn't have hot water for weeks. There are smashed windows and no lights on the stairs so it is really dangerous.

"We came to England to work as there are no jobs in Poland but it is more like living in a Third World country. I really don't believe that this is England.

"When we arrived in September the landlord said to give him a few days and he would furnish the flats with what we needed, but he has done nothing. To eat we have to put our plates on a mattress on the floor and all sit round to use it as a table."

Gary Monk, assistant divisional officer and the community fire safety manager for East Lancashire, said: "The restriction notice has been served due to fire safety concerns."

Mill Hill councillor James Smith added: "These people have been left in over-crowded conditions without basic amenities.The garrisoning of foreign workers in one building leaves them cut-off from the community and can cause unease within the community as well."

The Polish workers came to Blackburn after answering adverts for jobs with national jobs agency Work Solutions and have been doing packing work at factories in Blackburn, Darwen and Church.

Daniel Crossley, manager for Work Solutions, said he was shocked at the standard of accommodation. He said: "As their employer we have a duty of care to get involved and will insist the landlord secures alternative accommodation immediately that is suitable."

The work agency, which has an office in Simmons Street, Blackburn, uses letting agents, Independent Properties, Preston New Road, which also owns the flats.

The letting agency boss was unavailable to comment.