Residents of Ripon flats sinking into ground warn a collapse "could kill someone"

Residents of a block of flats in Ripon who are locked in a bitter row with insurers have warned people could die if the building collapses.

Property owners at Bedern Court have been given a bill of £100,000 to knock the building down as insurers Aviva have refused to pay out.

They say the building is cracking and sinking due to it being built poorly in the 1980s, but residents argue that the building was structurally sound until 2008 when cracks began to form.

Mat Pritchard, flat owner, had to move his dad out of the building when they were told it was unsafe.

He said:

"If the foundations were so poor then why did they sit there from 1987 to 2008 without moving at all. How could they be so poor if it really was just that you had this big weight of buildings pushing down on inadequate foundations. We've never had an explanation for that at all.

"Kids walk past every day going to school and leaving school. It's on one of the main roads in and out of Ripon. If it were to suddenly collapse the consequences could be terrible. If it happened at 8.30 or 9 o'clock in the morning when cars are driving past.

"It's unbelievable stressful and the worry that it could collapse and kill people keeps me awake at night and it stops me sleeping."

Bedern Court Ltd, a not-for-profit company controlled by owners, have spent nearly £70,000 on legal fees and engineering reports to prove that the damage is being caused by a sinkhole.

In a more recent report, residents in the four flats surrounding the sinkhole were warned it could collapse at any moment and were instructed to move out immediately.

Ripon is one of the most susceptible areas of the UK for sinkholes, as it sits above a layer of water-soluble rock which can be washed away, leaving what's above it to collapse.

Mr Pritchard has warned if the insurers get away with it then it could pave way for others to do the same.

He said:

"Every property holder in Ripon, which is known to have a history of sink holes, should be concerned about this because if insurance companies do the same things that they've done to us, then the risk of sinkhole subsidence essentially becomes one that they will not cover."

In a statement, insurer Aviva, said:

"We understand that this is a difficult situation for the residents of Bedern Court. Aviva provided property owners cover for Bedern Court between 2007 and 2013 and during this time we declined the claim based on independent, expert assessments undertaken at the time. We remain actively involved in discussions with other current and past insurers to share information to support the ongoing investigations and to review any new information that is now available."