A RESIDENT has told of the moment he was told to leave flats which were found to have breached multiple fire safety regulations.

Mohammed Shaik, 24, had been living with his wife, Sana Nakum, 21, in Amleen House in Colchester for six months while she studied at the University of Essex.

But the couple were told to leave suddenly by fire officers fearing their lives were at risk.

Mohammed described the moment when the fire service knocked on their door to tell them they had to leave because of fire safety concerns.

All the flats in Hawkins Road were evacuated after multiple breaches of fire safety were found following an inspection.

Gazette: Residents- Mohammed Shaik and wife Sana NakumResidents- Mohammed Shaik and wife Sana Nakum (Image: Mohammed Shaik)

Mohammed works full-time as a support worker at Pathways in Colchester.

Now living in temporary accommodation at the University of Essex campus, he said he is worried he won’t be able to afford charges from the university to stay there.

He said: “The university was there on Monday offering accommodation and the council helped too.

“We thought it would just be a couple of days before we could move back in, but we have found the landlord won’t be making repairs and will be terminating our contracts early.

Gazette: Belongings: packing up their flat Belongings: packing up their flat (Image: Mohammed Shaik)

“Now we suddenly have to find a new place to live, we are searching for accommodation but it’s not easy.

“We are worried that the university will charge us more than we can afford.

“We had been living there for six months so we had built a home over there.”

They have now received a deed from the landlord to surrender their tenancy agreement.

Gazette: Flats- outside Amleen House Flats- outside Amleen House (Image: Newsquest)

Mohammed said: “We should be getting compensation from the landlord as we still had six months on our contract.

“We cannot afford to seek legal help.

“My wife is anxious and cannot focus on her education.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do.

“It’s not possible to get all my stuff out in two weeks.

“I have been to agents, and they don’t have any immediate places that we could move into straight away.”

The university and Colchester Council stepped in to help at short notice after tenants were told to leave the flats.