Fears have been raised a derelict bingo hall could present a serious risk to public safety.

The former bingo hall in High Road, Pitsea has been empty for a number of years, however, no plans have been put forward to either redevelop the building or tear it down.

Christine Caine, 66, of Aragon Court, expressed her concerns the bingo hall could cause very serious harm if it remains in its current state.

She said: “For years the derelict bingo hall in Pitsea has been empty and falling further and further into disrepair.

“This is a dangerous and disgusting eyesore.

“You can see exposed wiring and ceiling roofing hanging down, where countless pigeons and their excrement live in the ceiling space.

“In the winter of last year, there was an incident where some of the ceiling came crashing down with snow.

“All that was done was to put tape around the area to stop people walking under it.

“This is totally unacceptable.”

A petition was set up by T Cribb and Sons Funeral Directors in High Road to call for work to be done to improve the state of the bingo hall.

Ms Caine has now aired her frustration at the fact that there have been no plans announced still for the old hall amid claims it is being left and ignored.

She added: “The residents who live nearby have to put up with this dangerous situation on a daily basis.

“It is a total eyesore and does nothing but bring Pitsea even further down than it already is. I wonder why it has not been boarded up and made tidy and secure.”

Ms Caine took her complaint to Stephen Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock.

A letter from Mr Metcalfe in reply to Ms Caine’s complaint, said: “We are sorry to hear of this situation and can see the severity of the matter, therefore we have written to the council and asked them to look into this and provide us with an update.”

However Basildon Council insisted the situation is being monitored as it moved to reassure residents of the potential danger.

Anthony Hedley, chairman of Basildon Council’s regeneration committee, said: “Basildon Council’s building control team regularly inspect the building to ensure it is not a danger to the public and deal with specific issues as and when they arise. We are in regular contact with the property owner, who is responsible for ensuring the building is safe.”