DANGEROUS levels of lead have been found in drinking water by estate residents who are battling their landlord’s plans for luxury penthouses and evictions, campaigners said today.

Residents of south London estate Dorchester Court were alarmed to discover this week that the drinking water in multiple flats has three times the level of lead allowed by regulatory standards.

Lead can cause serious poisoning if it builds up in the body and can affect the development of babies and young children.  

The landlord of Dorchester Court, a private estate with more than 300 residents, is Manaquel Ltd — owned by the property tycoon Heinrich Feldman who is featured on the Sunday Times Rich List and is worth more than £200 million.

Resident Cara said: “Once again, the negligence of our landlord is putting our health and safety at extreme risk.

“How many more near misses is it going to take before we see these dangerous conditions sorted out once and for all?

“Residents are sick and tired of having to fight Manaquel over a landlord’s basic legal duty to provide us with safe, warm homes.

“It’s been great to see the council issue an improvement notice, but it feels like different parts of the council are failing to communicate.

“How can the same landlord that Lambeth is having to take expensive legal action against to ensure basic compliance with the duty to provide safe housing be considered a legitimate actor to undertake property development in our borough?”

The council is currently considering the landlord’s application to build 16 luxury penthouses and eight townhouses on top of Dorchester Court.

Campaigners said that hundreds of renters face evictions from their community if the plan is approved.

A Lambeth Council spokesperson said it was doing all it could to support the residents at Dorchester Court and had ensured that residents have been supplied with safe drinking water and advice.