Residents of a tower block identified as having fire safety defects following the Grenfell fire have said they are “living in a nightmare”.

Oceana Boulevard in Southampton was found to have combustible material in its balconies and fire doors that do not fully seal in surveys carried out after the high-rise disaster in London.

But fire safety work has not started and residents said they have faced soaring maintenance charges and struggle to sell.

Developer Barrett Homes said it was committed to funding and fixing the building defects.

Stewart Mills bought his flat with his girlfriend but since then they have got married and have two young sons.

They would like to move on from their two-bed flat so the boys can have their own bedrooms and maybe a garden.

But they have been unable to sell it because of the fire safety work needed.

“The leaseholders here are completely innocent but we are mortgage prisoners,” he said.

He said the increasing service charges to cover insurance and interim fire safety measures had added to the stress.

“I’m incredibly frustrated that we are seeing more delays in getting things fixed because of bureaucracy between builders, freeholders and managing agents – none of whom actually live here.”

Ellie Biessek bought her two-bedroom flat when it was brand new in 2008 but said she now felt desperate and hopeless.

“It’s a nightmare living here now,” she said.

“It’s terrifying hearing your building is not fire safe.”

She said she was worried and angry about the service charge, which had jumped from £1,500 to more than £6,000 a year.

“I can’t afford that but I can’t sell the place either because no-one would get a mortgage for it.”

Christina Kiryakova no longer lives in Oceana Boulevard.

She said she had to get out because of anxiety every day over how she would escape in a fire.

She sold her flat last week at auction for £60,000 less than she paid in 2019.

She paid off her mortgage, but lost all her equity and has been forced to move back in with family.

“I’ve lost a huge, huge amount – and it’ll be years and years before I can ever have the chance of being a homeowner again.

“I’m frustrated that this is still allowed to continue seven years after Grenfell – we should have sorted out these issues.

“Instead we’re just got various people arguing with each other about who is to blame and who should fix things.

“It’s been a living nightmare”

Work was due to start in September to remove decking materials from balconies and terraces and to replace them with non-combustible alternatives – but that was delayed.

Barrett Homes had told residents the work would take about 12 months.

The builder has now told the BBC that a new contractor and fire engineering company has been appointed to carry out new surveys.

The company said they would start next week to determine what works will be necessary before submitting plans to the Building Safety Regulator.

It has not commented on the delays.

MP for Southampton Itchen Darren Paffey has met homeowners and said he was horrified people were having to live in these conditions for so long.

“Water is coming in through smoke extraction vents causing damage to homes, this isn’t acceptable,” he said.

He said ministers were meeting with developers next week to push for faster progress in remediation works.