RESIDENTS are being told to pull down their "unsightly" washing lines or face legal action.

As well as objecting to the way they look, Croydon Council has also branded rotary dryers a potential health and safety risk.

People refusing to comply with the rule have even been warned they face losing their homes.

Council officers recently wrote to tenants who owned the three-pronged washing lines in flats in Frimley Close, New Addington, threatening legal action.

This came after original letters – informing them that rotary clothes lines had been banned from council properties' balconies across the borough – had been ignored.

But some council tenants are still refusing to take their washing lines down and have branded the rule ridiculous.

Michelle King, 35, who lives with her two children in Frimley Close, said: "It is laughable really how the council is concerned about the attractiveness of a clothes line and our clean laundry.

"I just threw the first letter away but then we got another one later threatening legal action, which really shocked me. With two children and a small flat I don't know how else I can get my clothes dry.

"It doesn't look bad or lower the tone of the flats. What lowers the tone is the graffiti around here and the council should look at that instead of sending these letters out."

Ms King, who lives on the top floor of her building, claims she was told to carry her wet clothes down four flights of stairs to a communal laundry area instead of hanging them outside.

She added: "I am not taking my smalls downstairs to dry, no way. They could get stolen or anything could happen to them."

Father-of-three Gary Draker says his family have no alternative but to use their washing line and he has kept it up.

He said: "We have three small kids and a tiny flat. How are we meant to dry our clothes?

"I thought the letter was stupid, saying our clothes lines don't look nice.

"This area needs work done on it, our security gate is broken and we need more patrols.

"But the council thinks the appearance of our washing is more important than the safety of our children and our block of flats.

"I don't want to lose our flat and if it comes to legal action we will take it down. But it seems a row over nothing."

A Croydon Council spokesman confirmed that tenants who did not remove the rotary clothes lines immediately were warned legal action could take place.

He added: "The use of rotary dryers attached to a balcony or a walkway presents a health and safety risk to other residents if they fall.

"This could happen in high winds or when the dryer is overloaded with heavy and wet washing.

"They are also an eyesore."