Billingham tower block residents offered new homes after being evacuated over fire safety concerns

Residents in Dawson House, in Billingham, were told to leave their homes last week. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

Residents of a tower block which was evacuated due to concerns about fire safety do not know when they will be able to return to their homes.

Housing company Thirteen evacuated people living at Dawson House in Billingham last week following a safety inspection.

The inspection showed the company could not be certain it would be able to safely extract smoke from emergency exits within the building in the event of a fire.

In an update released on Wednesday 11 September, Thirteen's chief executive Matt Forrest said ongoing assessments of the building would "not be a quick process".

As a result, a decision has been taken to offer affected residents alternative accommodation, either permanently or temporarily.

Mr Forrest said: “We appreciate this is unsettling for customers and we are doing everything we can to support them to move.

"To ensure the process is as stress-free and straightforward as possible, Thirteen will cover all moving costs, which will be overseen by our dedicated response team, who continue to be on hand 24/7 for our customers.”

It is not known how long it will take to complete assessments of the building.

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