A HIDEOUS reminder of the Valentine’s Day blast in Oxford continues to hang over residents’ heads five months after the tragedy happened.

Gibbs Crescent residents are still no closer to finding out when the charred remains of the three-storey block of flats destroyed in the blast, nor the surrounding damaged homes will be completely flattened.

Oxford City Councillor Susanna Pressel said the eye sore was a constant reminder of ‘that awful night’, which also saw the death of 46-year-old Guido Schuette.

She added: “What is left of the buildings seem to be a magnet for drug-dealers and other anti-social behaviour.

“A2Dominion have been told about this repeatedly, but they have still not managed to make the site secure.

“The residents feel that they have been neglected.

“They have organised a petition signed by almost everyone requesting an urgent meeting, but so far no meeting has been arranged, which is frustrating.”

With no date for the coroners’ hearing into Mr Schuette’s death, residents have been left with a lot of unanswered questions.

She added: “They are all very angry about what has happened.

“The police have apparently written a report for the coroner, but it is not yet available to the public.”

Housing association A2Dominion, which runs the flats, has recruited an officer to support the residents.

But David Lingeman, the group director of property service, failed to confirm when the damaged flats would be demolished.

He said: “There is now only one resident still displaced by the incident and we will continue to work with them to find somewhere that meets their needs.

“All residents affected have also been financially supported by A2Dominion.

“The affected properties remain boarded up in preparation for the next phase in the process of safely dismantling them which we hope will be carried out as soon as is practically possible.”