A Barkingside resident is still without electricity more than a week after a fire devastated a shop below his flat.

Glenn Urwin was woken up by shouting outside as the fire blazed in Barkingside High Street on August 11.

He lives above Quidsaver, next to fashion store Spirit, which was gutted by the fire.

He said: “They had to move the girl at 120a because of smoke damage after she left her windows open.

“I think the only reason I’m still here is because the floor is concrete and not wood.

“The woman next door showed me scorch marks on her floor.”

Power has been restored for most residents after safety checks but Mr Urwin still has no electricity.

He said: “I lost all the food in the freezer and I’ve been having cold baths.

“I’ve got a gas cooker so was heating pans of water up on the hob and pouring them in.

“I went to a hotel for a couple of days at the weekend just to have a hot shower and a good meal.”

Mr Urwin is using an extension cord from a neighbour’s flat to run vital appliances and is working with his letting agent to get reconnected.