A homeless woman huddled asleep in a hallway of a private block of flats, a carrier bag with her possessions by her side.

That’s what greeted lorry driver John Dexter when he left his apartment to go to work early in the morning.

It’s not the first time he has encountered rough sleepers in the corridors outside his housing association home in Chatham town centre.

He has evicted several others who have crept into Admirals Place in Carpeaux Close to kip down for the night in the warmth.

He has complained numerous times to Orbit Housing Association bosses to whom he pays £2,000 a year for maintenance and security at the flat he shares with partner Debra Mullen.

But he said little has been done to rectify problems which have included broken doors, a faulty fob magnet and vandalised security gates – all of which have allowed intruders to trespass.

He said apart from a roof over their heads, they have also used the plugs in communal areas to charge their phones.

And Mr Dexter fears the situation will only get worse as the weather gets colder.

The 57-year-old moved into the newly-built one-bedroom fourth-floor property four years ago.

He said they have been dogged with problems for the last two years and, in desperation, he has now written to Orbit’s chief executive.

He said: “The entrance and internal fire doors have been broken since May. They are not fit for purpose. We need proper locking doors.

“At the moment, a five-year-old could get in. The problem has now increased as we have homeless people walking in during the night and sleeping in the communal areas.

“I have taken a picture of a lady I found at 5.30am asleep outside the lift. This is the third person I have had to kick out.”

Mr Dexter is concerned about security and is particularly worried about his partner who may be confronted by a stranger and come to harm.

He said: “I can look after myself, but if there’s more than one of them and they may be worse for wear or taken a substance, it might not be the same.

“I get up early to go to work and one morning there was a bloke outside my door. He stunk, his clothes were filthy and matted. He left marks on the walls where he had been sleeping.”

Another time, he came across a man in the underground car park who had wandered in from the street getting through the broken barrier.

An Orbit Housing Association spokesman said: “We are very sorry Mr Dexter is experiencing further issues in his building.

“We carry out regular inspections of the estate and instruct our contractors to attend any necessary repairs.

“We have visited the building and the front entrance is secure.

“Unfortunately, the magnetic lock on the back door has been damaged and we will be repairing this as a matter of priority.

“There is a secure internal door in place behind the damaged door which can only be opened via fob access.

“We encourage residents to ensure these secure communal doors are closed and to report any unknown persons entering the building to us and the police.”

Meanwhile, a charity boss has moved to explain why homeless people are sneaking into buildings.

Gillingham Street Angels’ Neil Charlick said: “People are desperate. When they sleep on the streets people set fire to their tents, they beat them up, they pee on them. A building offers a bit of security. It's also a bit warmer.

“Obviously it's not ideal for the people living there but desperate times call for desperate measures.”

He says if people see someone sleeping rough in their corridors they can direct them to the Street Angels in Skinner Street, Gillingham.

Staff will offer them food, clothing and bedding – they can also be contacted here.

Medway Council will also send officers to find out why people are homeless and how they can help.