A fed-up dad has lifted the lid on the grim reality of life inside one of Kent’s biggest tower blocks.

Trey Walker, who lives in one of the 241 flats at The Panorama, in Ashford, says teenage hooligans break inside before trashing communal areas and lighting fires.

Meanwhile, doors are kicked in or wrenched from their hinges, obscene graffiti is scrawled and basement pipes are broken - causing flooding.

Youths also smoke cannabis on the staircases and recklessly throw projectiles from the roof of the imposing nine-storey building - which is the town’s largest.

Mr Walker told KentOnline that since the level of security staff at the Park Street block was reduced in December, it has become “a living hell”.

“The anti-social behaviour has just become unbearable but it’s also criminal damage and trespassing - they are destroying the place,” he said.

“It’s time to take a stand. We can’t carry on like this any more.”

The 25-year-old says the teens get inside the building by prising open the front sliding doors or kicking in the rear fire doors.

Mr Walker told KentOnline of the wide-ranging mayhem caused by the youths.

He says they get up on the roof and thrown down footballs and stones. One large bag of sand was hurled which landed on a car and “wrote it off”.

They have also stolen parcels in the communal postboxes area, attempted to set fires in a staircase and left steps littered with matches.

Further damage includes kicking in the panels of fire exit doors, ripping out fire exit signs and taking doors clean off their hinges before smearing obscene drawings on them.

They have also flooded the basement by breaking piping, knocked out panelling in partitions below staircases – and run through corridors, ringing doorbells and trying the handles to get into people’s flats.

Even an aluminium sign on the outside has been pulled and bent by the yobs.

Mr Walker has been in the block for two years and lives with his pregnant fiancée Britney Burgess, 23, and their little boy Romeo.

“My two-year-old son likes to take the stairs with me but we can’t even do that, because they’re sitting there smoking and smashing glass,” he said.

The couple, who pay £950 a month (£830 for rent and £120 for electricity), say before December there were no problems.

Miss Burgess, who is expecting another baby in January, said: “I don’t want to live here anymore. I don’t feel safe. If the building goes up when a fire is set, what then?”

She keeps the door locked when Mr Walker is away at work at Subway in Ashford, just in case the louts try to get into their flat.

She once called him home because she was so frightened when the hooligans were running around kicking doors.

Mr Walker said: “It’s causing so many issues for people’s mental well-being.

“It’s honestly just so tiring. I’ve had to kick teens out of the building twice.

“We are looking to move out but I would advise people to double-check before moving here as it’s just a living hell.”

Trouble from youngsters has also been reported on the block’s private residents’ Facebook group The Panorama Residents.

One contributor said on Wednesday that they had got rid of three youths that had broken in through the front door.

On another occasion, someone said they had seen a group of boys breaking the front entrance by pulling the two sliding doors apart. The police were told about this.

Some contributors remain anonymous even to other residents on the forum for fear of their own safety.

One said: “These youths are doing as they please around a building they don't live in, a building with working class tax-paying citizens.

“I’m losing my patience seeing these kids destroy our homes every day just because the Panorama is seen as an old trashy building for anyone to play with.”

A spokesman for building managers Centrick told KentOnline: “In conjunction with the owners, a building security survey was undertaken and, following the results of the survey, brought The Panorama in line with other similar sites.

“This new security level includes a full-time building manager and daily patrols.

"This security level is under constant review, however, and includes regular consultation with residents.

“Following a recent consultation with residents, plans have also been approved to implement enhanced CCTV and access control measures, with timescales for installation imminent.

“The incidents alleged were dealt with speedily by the building management and the police were fully informed.

“We’re disappointed that the isolated actions of a few vandals have impacted our residents and continue to work with all parties to maintain the safety and security of The Panorama.”

A Kent Police spokesman told KentOnline: “Ashford's Neighbourhood Beat Team have been made aware of concerns over anti-social behaviour at the property in Park Street and will work with partners agencies and residents to identify anyone responsible and take appropriate action.

“Anyone with concerns is urged to report offences through the Kent Police website, or call 999 if a crime is in progress, so that local officers have the best information available to them when responding.”

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the building being rechristened The Panorama in July 2013 and eventually turned into flats, complete with recladding.

Previously it had been an office block called Charter House, which opened in 1975. It stood out as the tallest building in the town centre.

It can be seen from miles away in the relatively flat Ashford town area.

It was constructed as the headquarters for Charter Consolidated, a large British corporation with global mining interests.

In the following decades, it housed companies such as the ferry firm Stena Line and the Santander bank.

The building was converted into flats by the company Dukelease Properties and by 2020 it was returning £1,250,000 each year in rent.

The Panorama is one of the biggest blocks of flats in Kent. It has more apartments than Arlington House – which has 142 – although it is not as tall as the 18-storey building in Margate.

Elsewhere, Maidstone has Miller Heights, with 12 floors and 122 flats.