'The community will lose a child': Fears as youths 'run riot' in derelict Telford property

The building was built by royalist sympathiser and mining and ironworks magnate Francis Woolfe, who hid King Charles II in a barn in the grounds after the monarch’s defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

But now, centuries later, the Grade II listed property is a crumbling shell of its former glory.

Boarded and battered, broken roof tiles litter the site and the surrounding paths, with residents reporting the home is persistently targeted by teenagers causing havoc.

Dave Matthews, 59, lives behind the property. He said: "It's been years and years of teenagers and schoolchildren daring each other to go up on the roof and take a selfie for social media.

"It used to be 17/18-year-olds, now they're 12 or 13. They rip off the tiles and throw them onto the path below and the Scouts' hut next door. It could hit anyone below. If one of the tiles hits a child in a pushchair it could kill them.

"The whole thing is a death trap. There are huge holes in the roof where the tiles have been ripped off, and there are no internal floors in the building.

"If someone falls through that roof it's a straight drop to the basement. I don't think it's even speculation at this point, it's guaranteed - the community will lose a child."

As well as vandalism and damage to the building, neighbours reported harassment from youths, drug taking and even human defecation being regular occurrences for much of the last decade.

Steve Davies, 70, said his wife now refuses to walk down the public footpath that leads from their home on St Michaels Road because it runs adjacent to the property.

"Yobs throwing stones, spitting, swearing, intimidation - they're horrendous," he explained.

"My wife won't come down here now. I've had to call the police several times."

Fears that the historic building could become another Crooked House are also plaguing the residents.

Karen Minton, 62, who lives in a home next to Upper House, said concerns of a fire breaking out leaves her on constant tenterhooks.

She said: "Every time I hear a noise now I have to keep going around to see what's going on because I don't want it going up in flames. It is a worry. It's a historic building, it's a great shame."

Originally built around 1621, Upper House has seen a variety of uses over the years. In the 1960s, it housed the Telford Development Corporation’s social relations department.

From 1976, the building was used as Madeley Magistrates Court until the advent of a modern court in Telford town centre in the late 80s.

In 1988, the Upper House became offices for a company of chartered quantity surveyors, and later for social services’ mental health services, before falling into disuse.

Planning permission was granted in 2020 for the property to be converted into flats.

Now, Telford & Wrekin Council has confirmed it is working with the building's owner, who has so far reportedly failed to comply with the requirements of an Urgent Works Notice.

A Telford & Wrekin Council spokesperson said: “Upper House in Madeley has previously been granted planning permission for conversion into residential units, which has now expired.

"Due to issues with the security of the site and access to the building, Telford & Wrekin Council issued an Urgent Works Notice to ensure repairs needed for the preservation of the building are carried out.

"These included addressing issues with the roof, securing access to the building and erecting hoarding around the site.

“This work has not been completed so the council has appointed a contractor to address the requirements of the notice, and work is expected to start in November.

"We have been in close contact with the owner and local community groups throughout this process.”