RESIDENTS living in a Port street say it is so neglected ambulances and other emergency vehicles can no longer get access and have accused housing chiefs of abandoning them.

Fed up neighbours in the close knit Benclutha neighbourhood are calling on River Clyde Homes to urgently cut back overgrown bushes to clear a proper path to people's doors.

But they also highlighted a lack of all-round maintenance on jobs such as gutter-clearing, and today urged the social landlord to invest in the once sought-after properties.

Benclutha resident John Stanton, 62, who has long Covid and suffered a heart attack last year, said: "It is a disgrace what has happened to this street.

"We are just forgotten about.

"When I had to go to hospital because I had Covid and couldn't breathe, I had to walk down to the ambulance because it couldn't come up the road to my door.

"They can't get past the bushes.

"When we complain we are told we need to maintain it ourselves, but there is no way we could do the whole street and cut back all the hedges.

"Before River Clyde Homes took over this area was maintained and it was never a problem.

"Now we have overgrown hedges to the back and front.

"We also have overflowing gutters and that is causing dampness in our houses."

Mr Stanton says the lack of attention paid to the properties is putting them at risk.

He said: "We have had someone in our family living in this street since the houses were built 70 year ago.

"The houses in this street were once the most popular in Port Glasgow, with the views on the Clune Brae.

"People used to offer you money and a swap to get one.

"Now it is a different story."

John's sister Margaret Stephenson, who stays in the next block, is also unhappy at the condition of the area.

She said: "I can't get access in and out of my house easily and all the brickwork on the steps is uneven.

"We really need to get something done."

Her neighbour Archie Napier added: "These houses haven't had much investment for about 40 years.

"You need to look after houses of this age.

"What is happening to them is a real shame."

River Clyde Homes today rejected the claim that they had turned their back on the residents and the buildings they live in.

A spokesperson for RCH said: “We would like to reassure customers at Benclutha that they have not been ‘forgotten’.

"Indeed we can confirm that the area is on our routine grounds maintenance programme and the open spaces were last attended to a fortnight ago.

“There is some outstanding work to be carried out to the gutters, which is being actioned.

"We can only apologise for the delay, which is down to the significant backlog of works that grew over the last two years.

"We want to assure customers that the gutters will be repaired and we will be in touch with them as soon as we have a confirmed date.”