Jean Price and the black smoke marks on the wall where a mattress was set alight

A WOMAN has been left fearing for her safety after a fire outside her home.

Jean Price, 84, who lives on Elthorne Estate, says she now has trouble sleeping after a mattress was set alight outside her flat.

Her property was damaged – the garden fence burned away and her shed melted – and she’s calling for the council to repair it.

Ms Price is partially deaf and has to use hearing aids, and on the night of the fire she was woken up by the lights of the fire engines rather than the noise of the commotion.

“I thought it was the binmen come early, until I looked at the clock and saw the time,” she said.

Firefighters arriving in the early hours quickly put the blaze out – but the damage to the property had been done.

Ms Price, who has lived in her home for 43 years, said she now gets worried about any noises she can hear during the night.

“I hardly sleep now because I’ve only got to hear a small noise and I’ll jump out of bed and look out,” she said.

“I’m always looking out to see if anybody’s put stuff out there and set it alight. I’ve always been happy here, I don’t want to move. I’m a bit jittery now, with the fence gone.”

She added that the council are no longer taking her calls.

The estate’s recycling bins were moved to a spot outside Ms Price’s flat to make room for a new development.

Ms Price said they have attracted flies and she has also dealt with a mouse infestation.

“Everyone puts everything by the bins – you name it, it’s there: sofas, armchairs, beds, food rubbish, and mattresses as well,” she said.

“I keep saying we should have cameras if they want to leave the rubbish there.

“A girl across the road said she saw a bloke who was doing his bathroom up putting his bath there.

“My shed and fence wouldn’t have got burned if that rubbish wasn’t put there. Three years the recycling has been here – why should I put up with it?”

Her husband, who died 19 years ago, made her previous shed, but it began to decay and she replaced it.

“I know it’s old and this one isn’t as good as what my husband made, but it would have lasted me out, let’s put it that way,” she said.

The Metropolitan Police were called to the scene in Febraury.

A spokesperson from the Met said: “Officers attended. No injuries were reported and there was no evidence that any offences had been committed.

“There was no further police involvement.”

A spokesperson for Islington Council said yesterday (Thursday):  “Officers visited the property this week and have agreed with the tenant that the council will replace the shed and fence.

“Our contractors will be in touch with the tenant by the end of the week to confirm a start date.”