Residents of a street in Renfrew have slammed the local authority for "abandoning" the area.
Alastair Stephen Hosey, and Craig MacPherson, have branded Renfrewshire Council an "absolute disgrace" for leaving Ferguson Street "to rot".
Both men are now intent on setting up a tenants action group in a bid to "be heard" after "years of being ignored".
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Alastair, who has lived on the street for over 25 years, says the problems have been going on for "decades".
He said: "Renfrewshire Council has a duty of care to those who live here, whether that be private owners or council tenants.
"Residents feel like they have been abandoned. Cleanliness and anti-social behaviour are both things that the local authority has simply ignored.
"Leaves are completely covering the pavements, making it dangerous for pensioners and those who are disabled to walk along the pavement.
"Windows have been smashed and have not been fixed.
"Several doors to enter the tenements are either damaged or completely broken, which poses a real security risk.
"Closes are messy, with anything from cigarette buds to animal waste found on the stairs."
We previously reported on rats "taking over" a tenement block on the street.
Craig praised the council for how they dealt with the issue, but has expressed concerns over whether the "continued lack of cleanliness" will lead to vermin returning.
He said: "I understand that from the cleanliness aspect that residents need to play their part, but not everyone is capable of maintaining things, so given there are still council tenants on the street, they need to be taking more action in terms of maintenance.
"Many neighbours share our frustrations. I know tenants who have left and plenty of others who are desperate to leave.
"While I understand that some private tenants are causing issues, and the council does not have any power to resolve those problems, they could definitely do a lot more to maintain the social housing in the tenements on this street.
"Things have been abandoned for far too long, and the street has been allowed to get in this state due to a lack of care."
Both Alastair and Craig accuse the council of "systemic failure" over a number of years.
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They claim to have reached out via emails and phone calls "countless times" over the years to try and have the problems resolved.
In that time, they have either received "unsatisfactory" responses or been "completely ignored".
Alastair explained why he is setting up Ferguson Street Tenants Action Group as a "last resort".
He added: "I would encourage anyone to join the group.
"It is very much in its infancy, but residents are already interested.
"People power is important, and it feels like the only way we can try to effect change.
"We are keen to move to create a proper plan as soon as possible."
A spokesperson for Renfrewshire Council said: "Our Housing Officers are working with tenants and conducting regular visits to inspect the properties in Ferguson Street and identify any necessary repairs, maintenance and clean up works required.
“We are aware of the ongoing rodent issue in the estate which is continuing to be addressed by our Pest Control Officers.
"Residents can assist by ensuring waste is properly stored within bins and bulk items are not left in back court areas.
“If residents witness or experience any antisocial behaviour, they should report this to Police Scotland via 101 or 999 if it is an emergency.”
Anyone interested in getting in touch to join the tenants action group, or raise concerns about other streets which may be expressing similar problems, can do so by emailing aidan.macdonald@newsquest.co.uk or contacting The Gazette on Facebook.
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