A Lewisham father who is unable to sell his flat says his housing association has left him "in limbo" by failing to conduct fire safety checks.

Ricky Bath, 42, had an offer accepted for his Parkside Avenue flat in August, but the sale cannot proceed until his buyer's mortgagee sees a report confirming cladding surrounding the building meets Government standards introduced in the wake of the Grenfell tower tragedy.

Peabody Housing association is yet to arrange for an inspection, meaning Mr Bath and his partner are unable to move and unsure of whether their building is safe to occupy.

Mr Baths, a systems engineer, said: "I'm stuck in limbo. There’s been three months with no progress at all on the report, and they can’t clarify the reason why.

"Independent consultants are able to do it for £2000, so I wonder if it’s a reason of cost.

"Despite relentless chasing, they can’t give me or other residents an answer. We might be living in an unsafe building, and regardless of buying and selling we should know.

"It’s now a worry. Firstly, that we can’t sell the property, secondly that it’s unsafe and they aren’t doing anything about it.

"The uncertainty has been causing my girlfriend a great deal of stress."

The 2017 Grenfell tower tragedy, in which 72 people died, has had a major significant impact safety rules in the UK, particularly for high-rise residential buildings.

In December 2018, the Government published Note 14, which introduced new advice on what steps should be taken to ensure external cladding is safe.

Mortgage lenders now require assurances that buildings comply with the standards introduced by Note 14, asking buyers to evidence this through fire safety reports.

However, these inspections take time and there is a shortage of qualified people able to to carry them out.

The result is flat-owners across the country are unable to sell their properties, as mortgage lenders are unwilling to take risks.

A Peabody spokesperson said: “We understand that this complex situation is extremely frustrating for Mr Bath, and for anyone wanting to sell, re-mortgage or staircase.

"This is a nationwide issue affecting many leaseholders, and we are working with government and industry to try and find a solution.

"New government advice means that some mortgage lenders now require additional assurances and independent certification.

"We are thoroughly assessing all of our taller buildings and obtaining additional assurance from independent experts where appropriate.

"This takes time but we are doing everything we can to try and resolve this uncertainty for Mr Bath and others.”