Resident thought stairwell was 'dripping with blood' after graffiti attack at block of flats

Vandals daubed graffiti between three floors of a high-rise block of flats - which one resident compared to dripping blood.

The thugs damaged the stairwells between the 13th and 15th floors of Malvern flats in Southend on Monday night.

People living in the block said they believed the attack may have been carried out by drug users who they say come into the block to "use the stairs as a drugs den".

Resident Mike Smith, who lives on the 13th floor, said he was going out to post a letter when he came across the graffiti.

"It’s over about five stairways. It was a bit of a shock," he said. "I wondered what the red was on the glass on the door. I did think for a second it could be blood.“

He added: "They’ve chosen that colour and that type of paint to create an impression.

"Why would you do that?"

Mr Smith said people living in the block often came across people they did not know on the stairs.

“I’m pretty sure this isn’t someone who lives here. It’s someone who uses those stairs to use drugs. Last time the council was fairly quick to send someone round to clean it but we have to pay for that in our service charge.

“If you see them doing [drugs] you don’t know if they have a knife or something. We do have security guards but you don’t know when they are coming and they are unlikely to catch these people. People come in and use the stairs as a drugs den.”

The four Queensway tower blocks are due for demolition under a £500m regeneration scheme.

The project, a partnership between the Southend-on-Sea City Council and Swan Housing, will provide 1,700 new homes.

A spokesperson for South Essex Homes, which manages the tower blocks, said the graffiti had been removed within 24 hours, and that security was in place to remove people from the blocks when necessary.

"The Queensway Estate is part of the neighbourhood patrol’s patrol plan. They attend and patrol all blocks during the day and in the evening. They respond to reports of anti-social behaviour and remove individuals from the blocks when necessary," said the spokesman.

"The neighbourhood patrol has recently introduced body-worn CCTV which is viewed daily and, where relevant, we share this information with Essex Police to assist their intelligence picture."

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