A mother has pleaded with her local council to move her out of a crime-ridden estate after a neighbour brandished a knife outside her flat.

Jenna Moffat has been ‘living in fear’ for her family’s safety amid a string of terrifying incidents in her block in Mayfield, Scotland.

The resident has caught some of the violence on video, including a clip of a man waving a blade while trying to get into a flat, and another of a physical altercation on the stairwell. 

Much of the antisocial behaviour is fuelled by local drug users who hang around the building and even take drugs on the estate, according to Ms Moffat.

The mother said she moved to the area to escape domestic violence, but has spent the last three years desperately trying to get out of her current block, which is run by Melville Housing Association.

Ms Moffat has been forced to turn to antidepressants and anxiety medication to cope with the stress of her ‘nightmare’ experience living on the estate, with no prospect of the problem neighbours being evicted.

She said: ‘It feels like we’re living in a soap opera, but this is real life. I’ve been in here for four years now and it’s been ongoing from the minute I moved in and gradually gotten worse.

‘It’s horrible because you don’t know what you’re going to walk out to. 

‘There are times that we’ve gone downstairs and there’s been people sitting about downstairs taking drugs or people fighting in the stairwell.

‘This is causing significant fear and alarm to me and my family.

‘I don’t really sleep because I’m so anxious – the buzzer goes constantly throughout the day and night and people scream and shout at the door every single day to get in.’

She added that she several other residents of the building had expressed their concerns to her, with many not leaving their flat for fear of being attacked.

But, despite police being called ‘numerous times’ over one tenant’s violence, a housing officer advised they ‘need to get all their ducks in a row’ before action can be taken.

Ms Moffat added: ‘The reason I moved to this flat was because I was fleeing domestic violence and what’s going on is very, very triggering. When I told my housing officer this, they didn’t seem to care.

‘I’ve been asking to get moved for the last three years but I’m told they need more evidence before anything can be done.

‘I said how much more do you need me to complain about him and give you evidence?

‘I’ve sent videos, pictures, voice notes – but every time something happens, I’m told they don’t have enough evidence to remove him from the property. But surely he’s broken his contract numerous times.

‘I really don’t know why he’s not been removed from the area. I’m just getting nowhere with them.

‘They also said I need to put in for an exchange, but I told them no one is going to exchange with me – everybody in Midlothian knows the person and know the sort of thing that goes on.’

A Melville Housing Association spokesperson said: ‘Due to tenant confidentiality, we are unable to comment on individual cases.

‘We can confirm that we take all reports of antisocial behaviour and criminal activity seriously and are committed to the safety and wellbeing of our tenants.

‘Where incidents are reported to us, we work closely with partners including the police to respond appropriately within the scope of our powers as a landlord.’

MailOnline has approached Police Scotland for comment.