A SLUM flat belonging to a city landlord has been forcibly shut down.
It is the first time in 20 years Glasgow City Council has stepped in and imposed a closure order on a private property.
Council officials who visited the tenement in Allison Street were horrified by the conditions they discovered.
They found a toilet had been set up next to a cooker, there was no heating or hot water, the flat was damp, sinks were not connected and the electrics were unsafe.
Four adults and seven children, who are Slovakian Roma, were living in the property which was riddled with cockroaches.
The flat is owned by Mohammed Aslam, who is believed to own as many as 60 flats in the Govanhill area of Glasgow.
Council legal chiefs issued a closure order under the Housing Act which gave him 28 days to put right all the problems.
When nothing was done, the council moved in and helped the residents find new properties.
Mr Aslam now faces a £5000 fine if he allows anyone to live in the property in its present condition.
The state of the flat was discovered when council staff visited the area to talk to local residents about litter problems.
They reported the condition of the top floor property and an immediate investigation was launched.
Because residents were all members of the same family, Mr Aslam did not require a licence for a house in multiple occupancy.
A council spokesman said: "We can confirm a closure order has been served on a property at 221 Allison Street due to its failure to meet the basic tolerable standard of accommodation.
"It was served under the 1987 Housing Act.
"The owner had been given 28 days to address the problems associated with the property but did not respond accordingly.
"The closure order will remain in place until such time as the work needed to bring it up to the basic< tolerable standard has been undertaken.
"Concerns over the condition of the flat were first raised following a visit from environmental health officers and a subsequent investigation found the property failed to meet the basic tolerable standard on six different points.
"These were that it did not have a heating system, it was not free from rising or penetrative damp, there was no running hot water, there was no satisfactory site for cooking, the toilet system was not working and the electrics were not well-maintained.
"Allowing anyone to live in this property while the closure order is in place can lead to a fine of up to £5000.
"This is the first time such an order has been served in Glasgow for 20 years.
"This action was taken to ensure tenants do not find themselves living in conditions that fall below acceptable standards.
"The occupants of the flat were assisted to find alternative accommodation."
A Govanhill resident, who asked not to be named, said he visited one of Mr Aslam's properties in Annette Street several years ago, and found live electric wires hanging out of the wall.
He said: "Mr Aslam fixes all his appliances himself and in Annette Street there was going to be an explosion at any time."
South Side Central councillor Danny Alderslowe said he has received many complaints about the condition of Mr Aslam's flats.
He added: "He brings stress to the area and there is frustration among the people of Govanhill that nothing is done about people like him."

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